The Atlanta Falcons loaded up on defense in the 2025 NFL Draft with the intention of finding day-one starters.
It's not normal that a team finds multiple day one starters in one draft, but the Falcons might've done just that. Edge rusher/linebacker Jalon Walker and edge rusher James Pearce Jr. are likely to be day-one starters, considering they were first-round selections.
Xavier Watts and Billy Bowman Jr. will have a little more to fight for, considering Jessie Bates occupies one safety position, leaving just one more up for grabs. Watts is more of a deep safety with great ball skills, who can complement Bates perfectly. Bowman is more of a ball-hawking safety who lines up either in the box or in the slot. He can create a role for himself as a slot corner if the two safeties end up being Bates and Watts.
“Make no mistake about it, we're going to have some real intentionality about playing our rookies this year,” said Falcons head coach Raheem Morris.
This team’s defense ranked 23rd in points per game, 22nd in yards per game, 19th in yards per play, 18th in rushing yards per rush and 31st in sack percentage. Atlanta has been desperate for a defensive revamp, and they finally got one this offseason.
Morris sounded tired of being grilled about the defense's ability to get pressure on opposing quarterbacks, saying “That's got to change, and the only way to change that is to change that.” The Falcons clearly were intentional about that.
With the two additions at safety through the selection process with Watts and Bowman Jr., it’s more than likely that former Falcons safety Justin Simmons doesn’t return to Atlanta’s secondary. While Simmons has plenty left in the tank, the Falcons have decided to get younger and faster defensively, and breaking the bank on a safety would prevent them from doing so.
The two young bucks will join Jessie Bates and A.J. Terrell in a secondary that the coaching staff already seems high on.
Morris added that they will have to earn the “C” on their chests, and the team will ultimately decide, but the qualities are there. “You see future captains in these guys' makeup,” Morris said when talking about Walker and Watts.
There might be some growing pains early on with the defensive turnover, however.
Yes, they lost Simmons and replaced him with two elite-level prospect safeties, but there’s no guarantee their talent transfers from college to the NFL. They also added two promising edge rushers, but again, it might take them a little while to get out of the gates.
They’ve also added linebacker Divine Diablo and edge rusher Leonard Floyd defensive, which makes their defensive line and linebacker unit a couple of the best in football, with some high upside.
Morris and co. also retained some players like Kevin King and Mike Hughes, to keep some familiarity in the room for the younger guys in the secondary. They also added safety Jordan Fuller and cornerback Mike Ford.
It's important to note that the addition of Fuller will make it a little harder for Watts and Bowman to start on day one, but their talent and versatility offer Atlanta the ability to set up in nickel and dime packages.