The Atlanta Falcons struggled in many areas during the 2025 season but one of the biggest deficiencies was in the secondary. The Falcons made an eleventh-hour signing to bring Justin Simmons in, but the former All-Pro couldn’t save their defense, which ranked 11th with 224.5 passing yards allowed per game and 18th with 12 interceptions.
The struggles convinced Atlanta to let Simmons walk in free agency and defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake was replaced by Jeff Ulbrich. But the Falcons made a move bringing in a player to replace Simmons in the draft and he could have his breakout as soon as the Week 1 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Xavier Watts Could Have Week 1 Breakout Against Buccaneers
The Falcons learned on Wednesday that they will host the Buccaneers when the 2025 season opens on Sept. 7. Atlanta swept both meetings with Tampa Bay last season but they’ll still have to deal with the dangerous arm of Baker Mayfield.
The veteran averaged 255 yards per game and threw for six touchdowns and a pair of interceptions in the two games. But the Falcons are hoping for better results with the addition of Xavier Watts.
Watts was a third-round pick by the Falcons in last month’s draft and his profile should help Atlanta improve next season. At six feet and 205 pounds, he doesn’t have massive size. He also didn’t possess blazing speed with a 4.58-second time in the 40-yard dash. But he does have high IQ and exceptional coverage skills.
The 23-year-old put this on display during his time at Notre Dame with 13 interceptions over the past two seasons. Watts was also active in the running game with 82 total tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss but it’s his coverage skills that could help him have a breakout performance against the Buccaneers.
Mayfield has become a franchise signal caller in Tampa Bay and threw for a career-high 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns last season. While he hunts for big plays, he’s also prone to mistakes with an NFL-high 16 interceptions in 2024.
Part of this is related to Mayfield’s volume as only Joe Burrow (652), Aaron Rodgers (584), Patrick Mahomes (581) and Geno Smith attempted more passes last season. But his 2.8% interception rank was 10th among quarterbacks with at least 200 passes.
Those numbers indicate that the Falcons secondary will have its chances to make plays. If Watts has one come his way, it could be his breakout moment as a playmaker for a defense that desperately needs it.