Falcons' Ian Cunningham Makes His Draft Strategy Clear

INDIANAPOLIS – The Atlanta Falcons are starving for draft picks. As of the NFL Combine, they are sitting on just five selections (2-48, 3-79, 4-114, 6-196, and 7-231), but with none in the first or fifth round. While he is still quite new to this role, general manager Ian Cunningham has made it clear that he is in the market for more picks from the get-go.  

“We only have five [picks] right now, but we only had five in Chicago my first year there, too. I think we ended up with 10,” he said when he was introduced to the media. “We love those picks, and we're definitely going to build through the draft that way.”

After a second day of media sessions, both at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis and on the Falcons’ flagship station, Sports Radio 92.9 The Game, Cunningham made sure his point made it across: picks are critical. 

“This is the hand that we’re dealt, but that’s the fun part about it,” Cunningham said, while joining Steak Shapiro on The Steakhouse. “Whether we sit here and have five picks come April, or whether or not we're able to manufacture more – trust me, that's been on top of my mind, trying to find different avenues in order to acquire more.” 

How the Falcons go about acquiring those proverbial swings remains to be seen, but the simplest option would be to trade back. 

Ex-general manager Terry Fontenot was not keen on making those sorts of deals, and he was far more likely to trade up for players (they represented five of his six draft day trades). The most recent of which came in 2025 when the Falcons traded up for James Pearce Jr., and then again for Xavier Watts. 

Some of those aggressive deals worked out (e.g., Xavier Watts, Ruke Orhorhoro, and Matthew Bergeron), but others have not (Pearce – pending his legal issues, Richie Grant, and Arnold Ebiketie). The overall return from these big swings has been underwhelming, which is why the new regime may be looking for more opportunities at the plate than a home run. 

Ramifications from two of those deals will be felt in April when the Los Angeles Rams and Philadelphia Eagles step to the podium, especially for a Falcons team that is desperate for depth. That would still be achievable, but they would need to generate several more selections on the final two days of the draft. 

Whether they end up with more picks this spring or not, Cunningham made it clear that this franchise will not be hamstrung like this again. 

“But like I told our crew in the draft meetings this past week, this is going to be the last time we'll ever have five picks,” Cunning finished on The Game. “It is important for us to have as many swings at the plate, and that's going to be our philosophy moving forward.”