So, the Atlanta Falcons just wrapped up a 2025 season that honestly felt like a fever dream for most fans. We saw the highs of Drake London looking like a legitimate superstar and the lows of a coaching staff—and front office—getting the axe right after a Week 18 win over the Saints.
If you’re looking at the falcons wide receiver depth chart heading into the 2026 offseason, things are... well, they’re messy. But in a "there’s potential here if they don’t mess it up" kind of way.
The biggest misconception? That this group is "set" because London and Darnell Mooney are both under contract. They aren't. Not even close. One is a bona fide WR1, the other is coming off a season where he barely touched 400 yards, and the rest of the room is essentially a collection of "who’s that?" for anyone who doesn't live in Flowery Branch.
The Top of the Chain: Drake London and the WR1 Reality
Drake London is the guy. Period. Even with the knee issues that slowed him down late in 2025 and forced him to miss five games, he still put up numbers that make you sit up. We're talking 68 catches for 919 yards and 7 touchdowns in just 12 starts.
Think about that.
If he plays a full 17-game slate, he’s pushing 1,300 yards easy. He ranked seventh in the league in yards per game (about 77) last year. He’s 24 years old and stands 6-foot-4. He’s the foundation. But a foundation without walls is just a slab of concrete in the rain.
Then you have Darnell Mooney.
Look, Mooney is a professional. He’s under contract for 2026 with a salary cap hit north of $10 million, which is... steep. Especially after a season where a training camp shoulder injury basically derailed his chemistry with Kirk Cousins (and later Michael Penix Jr.) before it even started. He finished 2025 with 32 catches. That’s not what you pay ten million dollars for.
Whether the new regime—whoever that ends up being—views Mooney as a bounce-back candidate or a "cap casualty" waiting to happen is the biggest question mark on the falcons wide receiver depth chart right now.
The Depth Problem No One Talks About
Behind those two, the cliff is steep. Like, "don't look down" steep.
During that Week 18 win against New Orleans, the Falcons were trotting out guys like David Sills V and Dylan Drummond. Sills actually played all 17 games last year, which is a testament to his durability, but he’s a 30-year-old veteran with 191 yards on the season. He's a great "glue guy," but is he a WR3 on a playoff team? Probably not.
Current Roster Breakdown (Under Contract for 2026)
- Drake London: The undisputed alpha.
- Darnell Mooney: The expensive veteran looking for a resurgence.
- KhaDarel Hodge: The special teams ace who occasionally pops up for a big catch. He’s 31 now.
- Casey Washington: The 2024 sixth-round pick. He showed flashes (6 catches for 94 yards), but he’s still mostly a project.
- Deven Thompkins & Dylan Drummond: Depth pieces that spent time on the active roster due to injuries.
The reality is that David Sills and Malik Heath are hitting free agency. If they walk, the room gets even thinner. You've basically got London, a struggling Mooney, and a bunch of "maybe" guys.
Why the 2026 Offseason is a Total Wildcard
The Falcons are currently a ship without a captain. Terry Fontenot is gone. Raheem Morris is gone. Jeff Ulbrich and Zac Robinson are still technically around as of mid-January, but a new GM is going to want "his guys."
This is where it gets interesting for the falcons wide receiver depth chart.
In 2025, the offense struggled with consistency. Michael Penix Jr. is the future at QB, but he needs more than one reliable target. Last year, when London was out, the passing game felt like it was moving through mud. You can't ask Kyle Pitts to do everything from the tight end spot, especially since he’s been dealing with his own knee lingering issues.
Most experts, including the folks over at The Athletic and AtlantaFalcons.com, are screaming for a WR3. Not just a "guy," but a legitimate threat.
Think about it. If you add a twitchy slot receiver or another vertical threat in the draft, suddenly Mooney can move back to being a secondary option rather than a forced WR2. It changes the entire geometry of the field for Penix.
The Statistics That Actually Matter
If you want to understand why the depth chart is so top-heavy, look at the target distribution from last season.
Drake London saw 112 targets in 12 games. That is a massive 9.3 targets per game. Darnell Mooney saw 72 in 15 games. After that? David Sills had 36 targets across the entire season.
There is no middle class in this wide receiver room.
It’s the wealthy (London), the struggling upper-middle class (Mooney), and everyone else living paycheck to paycheck on the practice squad. To win the NFC South in 2026, the Falcons have to find someone who can demand 60-80 targets and actually do something with them.
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What's Next for the Falcons WR Room?
Expect the Falcons to be aggressive.
They have the draft capital and, depending on how they handle the coaching change, potentially some cap room to play with. You’ll likely see them linked to every mid-tier free agent wideout on the market. They don't need another superstar—they need someone who can catch 50 balls and keep chains moving when London is being double-teamed.
Here is what you should be watching for in the coming months:
- The New GM Hire: This is the domino that knocks everything else over. If they hire a scout-heavy GM, expect a high draft pick spent on a receiver.
- The Darnell Mooney Decision: Keep an eye on his contract status. If he's still on the roster by March, the team likely believes 2025 was a fluke caused by the injury.
- The Draft: This 2026 class is rumored to be deep with slot talent. A guy who can win underneath would be a godsend for Penix Jr.
The falcons wide receiver depth chart is a work in progress. It’s a puzzle with a very big, very talented piece in the middle (London) and a lot of empty space around the edges.
Next Steps for Fans and Analysts:
- Monitor the Waiver Wire: As teams prune their rosters for the new league year, look for the Falcons to snag a veteran WR3.
- Draft Scouting: Start looking at receivers projected in the late first or early second round; Atlanta cannot afford to ignore the position again.
- Injury Reports: Follow Drake London’s recovery closely through the spring to ensure that knee is 100% before OTAs.