FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The 2025 NFL Draft is here, and all eyes in the football world will be turned towards Green Bay, Wisconsin, for the next three days.
The Atlanta Falcons enter the draft with just five picks, which would match the fewest by the franchise if that number remains unaltered. However, there have been discussions about acquiring more picks during draft weekend, so be ready for anything to unfold once the Tennessee Titans come on the clock for the No. 1 pick.
We'll be covering every Falcons selection closely, but this is our draft tracker that is meant to be a running catch-all for each impactful moment in the draft. It's going to be updated throughout draft weekend, so make sure to bookmark it for easy reference. If you want a quick rundown of all the action, or a place to find our latest draft coverage, this is a good place to start.
Round 1 - Pick No. 15
With the No. 15 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Atlanta Falcons selected Georgia linebacker Jalon Walker.
Walker may have been just a one-year starter for Kirby Smart, but his overall impact and playmaking ability makes him arguably the top edge rusher/linebacker not named Abdul Carter in this year's class. Despite his smaller frame when compared to other edge rushers, Walker's upside is exactly what he showed at Georgia: An ability to consistently put a quarterback under pressure.
How he fits with the Falcons: Call him an edge rusher. Call him a linebacker. Call him a hybrid of the two. Whatever you call him, just make sure you know to use the word "versatile" when describing his play, because that's exactly what it is. Walker is the type of player defensive coordinators would love to move around the front-seven while putting creative rush plans together for him. This tracks for why the Falcons would want him seeing as what they've liked to do with Kaden Elliss in the past. For Walker, that's a role that he values himself, saying he is at his best when he's used as a chess piece. For the Falcons, continuing to unlock his potential in this way — as a hybrid, chess piece of sorts — could pay dividends for what the Falcons could do defensively. - Tori McElhaney
Round 1 - Pick No. 26
After trading back into the first round, the Atlanta Falcons selected University of Tennessee edge rusher James Pearce Jr. with the No. 26 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. In the trade with the Los Angeles Rams, the Falcons gave up pick Nos. 46 and 242 in this year's draft as well as their first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. In addition to the No. 26 pick, the Falcons will also receive pick No. 101 this year.
How he fits with the Falcons: The Falcons needed to add juice to their pass rush, and Pearce brings a lot of juice. He's an athletic player who stays clean by ripping, dipping and dancing his way past offensive tackles. Pearce has elite first-step explosiveness and will have opponents on their back foot in the blink of an eye. Don't expect Pearce to hold up at the point of attack in the run game, but that's not what he's here to do. The Falcons need someone to get after the quarterback, and he does that as well as any player in this draft class as evidenced by his 17.5 sacks over the last two seasons. - Will McFadden
Atlanta Falcons 2025 NFL Draft Coverage
- Tori McElhaney's mock drafts: Version 1.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 6.0 | 7.0 | 8.0
- Prospect previews: Edge rushers | D-line | cornerbacks | safeties | O-line
- McFadden’s 7-round mock | McElhaney’s 7-round mock | Waack’s 7-round mock
- Falcons Inside Draft Guide
- Where to watch and stream the 2025 NFL Draft
- Falcons keeping close eye on “loaded” defensive draft
- Medical, background checks a serious part of process for Falcons
- The benefits and hurdles of trading back in the draft
- Keith Brooking to announce Falcons draft pick
- Atlanta willing to trade back if opportunity is right
- Falcons have special way of noting Georgia prospects
- A look at Falcons’ draft trade history under Terry Fontenot
- Falcons know they need to "get the picks right"
