The Atlanta Falcons were among the more aggressive franchises throughout the NFL Draft and added significant talent to an emerging dominant defense.
Shortly after selecting top ranked edge rusher Jalon Walker with the No. 15 overall pick in Thursday night’s NFL Draft, the Falcons pulled off a blockbuster trade to lend Tennessee edge rusher James Pearce, adding a pair of dominant and disruptive pass rushers for head coach Raheem Morris to unleash after opposing quarterbacks.
However, the Falcons weren’t done loading up on defense, following a clear blueprint laid out by the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX, that a dominant front-seven paired with a stingy and opportunistic secondary can wreak havoc as the driving force behind a championship.
By the end of the draft, the Falcons had added safety Xavier Watts and defensive back Billy Bowman, as well.
Atlanta’s haul was viewed favorably by executives across the NFL.
“I liked Atlanta’s haul, overall. They addressed needs and got good players,” a veteran NFL scout told me of Atlanta’s haul, shortly after the draft concluded.
Morris and the Falcons loaded up on defensive talent in hopes of combatting some of the explosive offenses in the NFC such as the Eagles, Minnesota Vikings, Los Angeles Rams, and Green Bay Packers which each made the postseason in 2024.
The Falcons finished 23rd in the league last season while allowing 345.2 points per game, despite Morrs’ defensive background, so it’s easy to see why defense took center stage for Atlanta during the draft.
Atlanta Falcons’ NFL Draft grade revealed
It is difficult, and often a fool’s errand to assign draft grades before a team’s rookie class even takes the field,
But, after committing to rebuilding the defense, NFL Media’s Chad Reuter gives the Falcons a B- for the franchise’s draft haul.
“The Falcons did not mess around when it came to addressing their pass rush need,” Reuter writes. “Getting good value in Walker at No. 15 and taking a chance on Pearce’s upside later in Round 1. The risk of giving up a 2026 first-rounder to trade up for Pearce was somewhat mitigated by receiving a 2025 third-rounder in return. They met a huge need with the selection of the ballhawking Watts in Round 3.”
Atlanta seems to believe that the key to winning in 2025 and beyond is building a dominant, stingy, opportunistic defense that takes the pressure off second-year quarterback Michael Penix Jr., and during this year’s draft went a long way towards not just building that kind of unit but also one that seems capable of applying relentless pressure on opposing quarterbacks, as well.
