Falcons make final three picks of NFL draft
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Falcons double-dipped on defense in the sixth round and bolstered their offensive line depth in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL draft, adding Washington defensive tackle Anterio Thompson, LSU linebacker Harold Perkins Jr. and Ohio State offensive tackle Ethan Onianwa on Saturday afternoon.
The Falcons selected Thompson at No. 208 overall, Perkins at No. 215 overall and Onianwa at No. 231 overall.
Thompson, who stands 6-foot-2 and 306 pounds, blazed a 4.73 40-yard dash at Washington’s pro day. He started his career at Iowa Western Community College in 2022 before transferring to Iowa in 2023, to Western Michigan in 2024 and Washington in 2025.
The Madison, Wisconsin native played in 13 games and made three starts at Washington, collecting 30 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks in 2025. In his lone season at Western Michigan, Thompson made 34 tackles and one sack, which followed a year at Iowa in which he made one tackle in seven games.
Perkins offers a more prestigious profile. Rated as a five-star recruit by several outlets, Perkins burst onto the scene in 2022, earning Freshman All-American accolades after notching 72 tackles and a team-high 13 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks.
The 6-foot-1, 223-pound Perkins started all 13 games at linebacker in 2023, again leading LSU with 13 tackles for loss and receiving second-team All-SEC honors. Four games into 2024, Perkins suffered a torn ACL that ended his season prematurely.
Perkins returned in time for the 2025 season, playing in 12 games with 11 starts. He recorded 56 tackles, eight tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks in his final college season, earning third-team All-SEC honors. He timed a 4.45 40-yard dash at LSU’s pro day and has experience playing off the edge and at inside linebacker.
Onianwa played in 37 games and made 34 starts from 2022-24 at Rice, where he played both left and right tackle. The 6-foot-7, 331-pounder transferred to Ohio State last offseason but didn’t crack the starting lineup with the Buckeyes. He appeared in all 13 games in a reserve role.
The Falcons finished their first draft haul under coach Kevin Stefanski and general manager Ian Cunningham with six picks: Clemson cornerback Avieon Terrell, Georgia receiver Zachariah Branch, Oklahoma linebacker Kendal Daniels, Thompson, Perkins and Onianwa.
