As the Atlanta Falcons impressed the NFL world with a solid performance on Sunday Night Football with a 22-6 victory over the Minnesota Vikings, one member of the rookie class continued to show the Falcons they made the right call in bringing him in.
Rookie defensive back Billy Bowman Jr. continued his hot streak to open his NFL career, logging his first career interception against Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy one week after taking down Tampa Bay Buccaneers signal-caller Baker Mayfield for the first sack of his young career.
Bowman, who was selected out of Oklahoma with the 118th overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft, came into the campaign off a strong performance in the preseason, impressing the coaching staff enough to get on the field and make the most of his opportunity. With that playing time, the fourth-rounder has fit right into the fold on an Atlanta defense that looks like it could be a formidable force this season.
Falcons DB Billy Bowman Jr. Is Already Exceeding Expectations
While many expected Bowman to have an impact on the team in his first season, preseason expectations centered around whether he could become a starter for the Falcons' secondary, a job he won. Now it looks like the role will be his for the foreseeable future.
Coming out of Week 2, the Falcons' defense currently ranks second in total yards allowed, fourth in scoring defense, and tied for the third-most takeaways per game. Bowman has been a major factor in the early success, and is joined on the defensive side by fellow rookies Xavier Watts, Jalon Walker, and James Pearce Jr.
The young defenders had some early success, as Walker secured his first-ever sack while Pearce recorded half an effort against the Vikings in what should be a vital victory for the confidence of this young team.
As it stands, Walker and Pearce own 55.9 and 59.4 Pro Football Focus defense grades, respectively, while Watts' mark of 81.5 is the seventh-best among 73 safeties across the league.
The rookie presence on the defensive side is already helping take pressure off quarterback Michael Penix and the offense as they try to continue getting their rhythms together. Bowman and the Falcons continue their 2025 campaign in Week 3 when they face the division rival Carolina Panthers on Sunday, and will look to the burgeoning rookie class to continue to shine as Atlanta seeks its second win of the season.