Roddy White Exclusive Interview: Falcons Predictions, Brandon Aiyuk, and WR Mt. Rushmore

Former Atlanta Falcons star wide receiver Roddy White sat down exclusively with Hard Rock Bet to discuss a wide range of NFL topics ahead of the 2026 season. The four-time Pro Bowler shared his thoughts on the Falcons’ outlook, some of the league’s biggest storylines, and several of today’s top players.

White also weighed in on Brandon Aiyuk’s uncertain future with the San Francisco 49ers, the impact of Mike Evans’ departure from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and what he expects from rising stars such as Drake Maye, Jeremiah Smith, and Cam Ward. He also offered his take on Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills, Ryan Clark’s departure from ESPN, and more.

The conversation wrapped up with White discussing his coaching aspirations, Jake Paul’s NFL ambitions, and revealing his Mount Rushmore of all-time NFL wide receivers, along with the current stars he believes could eventually earn a place on it.

Falcons Expectations, NFC South Outlook, and Brandon Aiyuk’s Future

White opened the conversation by sharing his thoughts on the Falcons’ offseason additions and expectations for the 2026 campaign before turning his attention to several NFC South rivals. He also weighed in on Brandon Aiyuk’s uncertain future with the 49ers and why he believes a move to Washington could benefit both the receiver and the Commanders.

You’ve spent some time with the Atlanta Falcons and your old quarterback Matt Ryan this offseason. What did you make of the roster, and can you share any insights from your time in the building?

I think Kevin Stefanski has done a really good job of putting a good staff together.

In the offseason, I think they did a really good job with the picks they had in the draft. They addressed a lot of issues and got some really good quality players. One pick I really liked was Harold Perkins Jr. out of LSU, and I also liked selecting Zachariah Branch out of Georgia.

Those guys were exceptional in college, and they’re going to do a lot to help our team out this year.

I love Avieon Terrell. He’s going to be dynamite, and he’s going to get us a lot of opportunities to take the ball away.

Just looking at our overall roster, I think we are a pretty good team, especially offensively. I expect us to be a top-10 offense in 2026. We have Drake London, who got his money recently. He got a well-deserved payday, and he’s been very consistent for the Falcons.

I think we have the best running back in the game in Bijan Robinson.

We’re still trying to figure out who the second wideout is going to be, but we have Kyle Pitts who I think is going to be exceptional in this offense. I watched Cleveland last year and saw the damage their tight ends were able to do in that offensive structure, so I think Kyle will have a huge year. He’ll do a lot of damage in the red zone too.

Defensively, I think they’ll just be flying around. We’re going to be fast and physical on defense.

Our secondary is going to be very, very good. The guys we drafted in the secondary last year in Xavier Watts and Billy Bowman Jr. looked impressive too.

Our defensive line has improved. We needed a little more size to play against the run, and we got that by adding guys like Da’Shawn Hand and Maason Smith.

The Falcons’ rivals, the New Orleans Saints, picked up receiver Jordyn Tyson in this year’s draft. What can he bring to the Saints’ offense?

I think Jordyn Tyson is a really good football player. I saw him play in college and he’s elite. He has really elite quickness. He’s a fast kid. But he’s also big and strong.

He has every tool in the toolbox to be an elite wide receiver in the National Football League. The only issue is injury concerns. He didn’t play a single full season in college.

But if he can stay healthy, I think he’s going to help the Saints and Tyler Shough out tremendously. I just hope he doesn’t help them out too much when they play the Falcons. But in the years to come, he will be a special talent in this league.

He’s exceptional, and it must be a family thing, as his brother, Jaylon Tyson, currently plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA. They’re just an ultra-talented family.

Elsewhere in the NFC South, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers head into their first season without franchise legend Mike Evans. How big ‌of a loss is Evans to that wide receiver group and the wider locker room?

Mike Evans is going to be a very big loss for the Buccaneers.

I know they’re still super talented at the receiver position with guys like Emeka Egbuka and Chris Godwin Jr., and one of the reasons they let Evans go was because of the amount of talent in that room. But Evans is a guy who could’ve really mentored those younger receivers.

On the field in pressure situations, he could still ‌go out there and make plays for them. He did that throughout his career with the Buccaneers.

I think they’re just going to miss his presence as a leader in the locker room.

He is a dog, and you know he’s going to show up each and every week. He will put it all ‌on the line. He could’ve shown the young guys how to be an elite wide receiver in the NFL.

I think part of the reason Egbuka played so well in his rookie season was that he had Mike and Godwin Jr. in the same building to guide him. Godwin Jr. is still there, so a lot of this responsibility to mentor the younger guys will now fall on him.

So, I think Evans’ presence will be drastically missed, and I’m not mad about that as a Falcons fan, as we’re trying to win the NFC South too.

Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk’s situation with the San Francisco 49ers and Kyle Shanahan is still unresolved. What have you made of this situation and the way it has been handled?

I think this situation has been handled wrongly by the 49ers. They should’ve been more patient with Aiyuk and his situation.

They should have done all they could to get him back on the field to give him an opportunity to show he can still play football. When you have a guy who is angry and just wants to leave, it’s hard to get any compensation for him.

It’s frustrating for the organization as well because they’ve invested a lot of money in him already and they’re not getting any production out of him.

If I were in the building, I would do everything I could to mend fences with him and get him back on the field because that’s the only way you’ll get something you want out of the situation.

The only reason you shouldn’t do that is if you feel he will wreck the locker room. If that’s the case, you just have to release him, but it’s hard to release a guy with that talent who could still help their team.

When healthy, he’s a WR1 in my eyes, and he could help the 49ers reach the next level. They’re in a tough division with a lot of good teams. They still made the playoffs last year even with a lot of players injured. So, they will want to be fully ready to go in 2026, and he would be an important part of the offense if he was in the building.

So, my message to the 49ers would be to mend fences and get him out on the field, because no team will give them any compensation right now, as they already know he wants out.

Aiyuk is constantly lobbying for a move to the Washington Commanders. Could this be a good pickup for the Commanders and Jayden Daniels?

It would be a great move for the Commanders, and they really have the ace card in their hand. They have all the leverage because they know he actually wants to go there.

He wants to play for the Commanders, so they’re doing the right thing. They’re being patient with the situation.

In my mind, they’re probably so confident of getting Aiyuk one way or another, they could give him a playbook already, so he can learn the offense as soon as possible.

I don’t think money is on his mind too much as a concern, as he’s already been paid.

He wants the opportunity to be on the field and to be in a good situation with a guy like Jayden Daniels, who he has familiarity‌ with from their days at Arizona State. They only played together for one season in college, but showed great chemistry together. If I were a Commanders fan, I would be excited about that potential duo.

NFL Storylines: Ryan Clark, Josh Allen, and the League’s Rising Stars

The conversation then shifted to several of the NFL’s biggest storylines, including Ryan Clark’s departure from ESPN, the Patriots’ acquisition of A.J. Brown, Josh Allen’s supporting cast in Buffalo, and why White believes Ohio State standout Jeremiah Smith is destined for NFL stardom.

An ex-NFL DB you played against in Ryan Clark, was recently dismissed by ESPN mid-show. What is your reaction to this?

I think Ryan Clark is exceptional at his job. It’s unfortunate that he got released by ESPN because he is so good at what he does.

Usually, guys who are that good don’t lose their jobs.

Clark speaks up on a lot of issues outside of football. He is always standing up for the Black community and being on our side. I think this and his opinionated nature may have cost him his job because ESPN, as a network, doesn’t want people touching on politics and community-related topics. They just want everything to be sports-related.

So, it was frustrating for me because he’s talented at what he does. I wish him nothing but the best, and I think he’s going to get another job fairly quickly.

You expressed an interest in playing for the New England Patriots toward the end of your career. The Patriots added A.J. Brown to their roster this offseason. What did you make of this move, and can it help Drake Maye reach another level after his impressive 2025 season?

Without A.J. Brown, Drake Maye has already played very well. He got his team to the Super Bowl last year. Trading for A.J. though gives that team and offense such a different dynamic.

He is an unbelievable football player. He’s very consistent and will show up every week because he’s a dog. He will make things easier for Maye because he’s like a quarterback’s blanket. It doesn’t matter what type of coverage the defense is in, you can throw the ball to him and he’ll make plays.

I think the AFC will come down to the Patriots and the Denver Broncos again. Getting A.J. helps the Patriots a lot in that matchup against the elite Broncos defense.

Having a true WR1 makes such a difference to your offense, and it’s been a while since the Patriots had this.

So, I think Drake Maye will have another really good year. He has the ability to make plays with his feet too, but with Brown in the offense and his ability in the red zone, Maye will throw a lot more touchdown passes in 2026.

Another team you were linked with after your time with the Falcons was the Tennessee Titans, who added Carnell Tate via the draft. What do you think about Tate’s game?

He’s a very smooth guy. I watched him in college, and that smoothness just stood out to me. He’s a very good athlete. He reminds me a little bit of Justin Jefferson with slightly less wiggle but still very smooth.

He makes route running look very, very easy. He’s got good size to him too, at
6′ 2″ and 192 lbs. Even if the quarterback misses with a throw, he can still make plays as his catch radius is extremely big.

Having a receiver like that who can make plays out of nothing will be a big help for Cam Ward.

I hope Ward gets off to a good start. It was tough for him last year because he didn’t have much talent around him. Now that the Titans have added some talent on the offensive side, I think he’ll vastly improve in year two.

As someone who has played in stacked offenses led by a franchise quarterback, do you think the Buffalo Bills have let Josh Allen down by not consistently putting elite talent around him in the passing game, particularly at wide receiver?

I don’t think they’ve let Josh Allen down. I think a lot of times they do focus more on the defensive side when adding or retaining guys because they know Josh is always going to be Superman on the offensive side.

When you look at what Josh brings to the table, I think if you stack the offense, it will actually make it harder for Josh to flourish and play his game.

He likes to use his legs a lot, move defenses, get out of the pocket, and make throws on the run. He does an unbelievable job of extending plays. If the Bills were to stack elite talent at receiver, that could affect the play calling.

You don’t want to impact Josh’s game too much, in order to keep receivers happy by making sure they are heavily involved in the offense too.

They have Khalil Shakir and added DJ Moore and Joshua Palmer in the offseason. So, I think they’re currently decent enough at wide receiver.

I think their tight ends have really let them down. The two tight ends, Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox, struggle to stay healthy and play at 100%. That has proved to be a real issue for the offense as it impacts the intermediate passing game and the things they like to do in that regard.

I think Kincaid has to have a really big year in 2026 because they had some high expectations for him when they drafted him in the first round. He has to come out and stay healthy for 17 games and put up better numbers than he has. If he can be that safety blanket for the quarterback, Josh will improve even more.

Regardless of the weapons on offense, they’ve had their opportunities to make it to the big dance and make the Super Bowl. Having Josh Allen will always make them a Super Bowl contender, but they just have a problem finishing games. That’s been their biggest issue.

In college football, Jeremiah Smith is gearing up for another season at Ohio State. What have you made of the impressive young receiver, and is there any receiver you’ve played with or against you could compare him to?

He’s fantastic. The things he’s already done in college football at Ohio State are unbelievable. If he stays healthy, he will break every Ohio State receiving record when it comes to yards, touchdowns, and catches.

He will be the next great receiver to come out of Ohio State, and he will be an elite NFL player too.

I actually think the Tennessee Titans may get a chance to draft him next year if they stink again in 2026. Then they’ll have both Ohio State guys on their team (Tate and Smith). Cam Ward would be very happy about that. He’d get really good, really quickly with that receiving duo.

Smith is a big kid as well. He’s 6′ 3″, 223 lbs, and he’s still very explosive. So, in terms of a comparison, I’d have to say he reminds me of my old teammate, Julio Jones, and the things he could do on the football field.

UAB Football, Coaching Aspirations, Jake Paul, and Roddy White’s WR Mount Rushmore

To close the interview, White discussed his alma mater UAB and his future coaching ambitions, his thoughts on Jake Paul’s desire to pursue an NFL career, and revealed the four legendary receivers who make up his personal Mount Rushmore, along with the current stars he believes could eventually join the conversation.

What are your thoughts on the state of UAB football as Alex Mortensen heads into his first full season as head coach?

I was over there in the spring, and I watched those guys work really hard. They did some great work in the transfer portal and addressed needs on both the offensive and defensive lines.

I think they’re going to be very good offensively and very sound defensively.

Coach Mortensen did a really good job putting his coaching staff together. There’s a lot of good college experience within his staff, and coaches like Todd Grantham also have NFL experience.

That staff and their experience will help construct a mentality of going out there and being professional while also grinding hard every day in practice.

When I saw them, I thought they looked hungry.

We want to get back to our winning ways. We want to win the conference and give ourselves an opportunity to get one of the 12 spots.

But you have to crawl before you walk, so they just need to go out there and find some consistency. That will help build the program, and I think Mortensen will do a very good job.

You previously expressed an interest in coaching UAB last year. Are there any plans for yourself to pursue a job at the college or NFL level in the future?

Not right now.

At the time, I ‌really wanted an opportunity at that UAB job because it’s my alma mater. I wanted to see if I could put a really good coaching staff around me and crank the engine up there. But I think Mortensen will do a really good job.

Right now, I’m just coaching at the high school level.

I’m always in the building at the Falcons, just sitting down and learning by talking to coaches, and getting a better understanding of how practices run, and how things operate in terms of running an organization.

I’m just going to keep my head in these buildings to keep learning. Hopefully, I have an opportunity to coach at one of the upper levels within a year or two.

My son, Lamar, is currently at UAB playing wide receiver. Once he gets out of college, I’ll have an opportunity to focus on my coaching direction.

Social media sensation turned boxer Jake Paul has recently revealed plans to switch to the NFL, and he said that teams are allegedly interested in him. Do you think he even has a shot at making it into the NFL?

I don’t even know what position he would play. I know he was a wrestler in high school before taking up boxing. I was also a wrestler, so I know he’ll have a good level of athleticism, which will maybe give him a chance. Maybe he could play linebacker, running back, or tight end, but I’ve never seen him catch.

But I would say he wouldn’t make it in the NFL at this point in his life.

Also, with the things he has said about NFL players in the past, I would advise him not to go out there.

He’s been disrespectful to football players before, so it would not be good for him if he went out to play in the NFL. It could get really ugly when they put those pads on.

If he really wants to play, maybe he should look at playing in another league outside of the NFL. I think he’d need to start there and work his way up to the next level.

Who is on your Mount Rushmore of all-time NFL wide receivers?

We have to start with Jerry Rice. When you look at his talent, accolades, and longevity, he’s just so far ahead of everybody else. It’s not even fair. He’s the GOAT of the position.

I was sitting down with Larry Fitzgerald one day when we were over a decade into our careers. We had both surpassed the 10,000-yard mark, and we were thinking, ‘We’re in years 10 and 11, yet we’re still 10,000 yards behind Jerry Rice.’

That speaks to how exceptional he was.

I also love Terrell Owens, so he would be the second name on my Mount Rushmore.

As far as talent, I have not seen a more talented receiver than Julio Jones.

The last spot would go to Marvin Harrison because of what he did in the league, and also because I have to put a smaller guy in there.

Are there any current wide receivers who have the potential to make your Mount Rushmore once they retire?

Ja’Marr Chase is definitely one. Justin Jefferson is another.

What these two guys do on the field is unbelievable. When they retire, I’m sure they’ll be in Mount Rushmore conversations, no doubt about it.