FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons will enter the 2025 NFL Draft with five draft picks, the second fewest among the league's 32 teams. If they emerge from the draft with only five new members, it will match the 2006 class as the smallest in the organization's history.
With precious few throws at the dart board, Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot knows he needs to make each one count.
"Right now, we've got five draft picks," Fontenot said during his pre-draft press conference Wednesday. "You can look at historical numbers and every year there's going to be first-round picks that don't play well and there's going to be undrafted free agents that end up being really good players. So, you have to get the picks right."
The expectation is that Atlanta will focus on defense in this draft, and it appears to be in a good spot to have their choice of options at pick No. 15. Several of the draft's top pass rushers, including Mykel Williams, Mike Green and James Pearce Jr., could still be on the board when the Falcons come on the clock, but that level of variety may complicate matters more than help them.
Ultimately, it comes down to the qualities the team requires for certain roles and how well Atlanta's scouting department and front office sorted through the numerous options to find those qualities. This is a process months and years in the making, and the draft board continues to be refined in the hours leading up to the first round.
"We feel good about the process, and we feel good about all of the work that's gone into it, but you always want to watch another game," Fontenot said. "You always want to make one more phone call. You always want to dig a little deeper into things."
All of that digging is done in hopes of accomplishing something that is frustratingly difficult to do: Nail the draft.
The Falcons have a good track record in the first round, having added two proven weapons in Bijan Robinson and Drake London, and a promising quarterback in Michael Penix Jr. during the last three drafts, but opinions vary when it comes to Day 2 and Day 3. Atlanta has found a few late-round gems with players like Tyler Allgeier and Drew Dalman in previous years, and it will need to do so again.
Three of the Falcons' five picks are on Day 3, including two picks in the seventh round. That means a majority of Atlanta's current total will come after pick No. 117 in a year when the club seeks to add impactful talent.
"Just a matter of where you find them," Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said at the NFL Combine. "Where you find them at and if you can go get those guys to be able to contribute to some of the things you can do, you obviously want to be able to use them."
The Falcons ranked 31st in sacks last season, so getting pass rushers they can use effectively is a top priority. However, the team also has a current vacancy at center — although Ryan Neuzil figures to eventually slot in there — and could stand to add quality talent to other spots on the defense. These aren't necessarily holes to fill as much as they are areas for improvement, but there's not much difference given the importance of each pick.
The backdrop of this draft is a season in which the Falcons couldn't capitalize on a promising start. A second-half fade cost them a postseason berth for the seventh-straight season. With limited resources for free agency, the draft presents perhaps the best opportunity this offseason for Atlanta to meaningfully alter its depth chart.
"The pressure is always there, absolutely," Fontenot said. "And that's a part of it. If you're not comfortable with the pressure, then you shouldn't be working in the NFL. Definitely shouldn't be in a leadership position. But, you've got to get the picks right.
Fontenot began the offseason by saying the Falcons would be open trading back and acquiring more picks in this draft. He reemphasized that on Wednesday.
Getting more bites at the apple in an event like the NFL Draft is never a bad thing, but it's also not guaranteed. Round 7 could draw to a close on Saturday afternoon with the Falcons having selected just five players.
Whatever the ultimate tally winds up being, the mission remains the same.
"Regardless of if we make five picks and get 10 players in undrafted free agency, whatever it is, it's about getting the picks right," Fontenot said.
