2025 NFL Draft: Top players available, biggest needs for Falcons on Day 3

A quick look at the players Atlanta could target in the fourth and seventh rounds as well as the biggest remaining needs for the Falcons on Day 3.

Apr 26, 2025 at 08:00 AM

Will McFadden

Senior Editor & Staff Writer

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — On Day 2 of the 2025 NFL Draft, the Falcons made their second trade up of the event to get a player they simply couldn't stand to leave available for a moment longer.

Atlanta added one of the most prolific defensive playmakers in the draft by selecting Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts with the 96th overall pick. The Falcons moved up from pick No. 101 and sent an additional fifth-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft to the Philadelphia Eagles to do so.

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Watts, who had more interceptions (13) than any player in college football the last two seasons, joins edge rushers Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. as the newest Falcons. It was widely expected that Atlanta would target defense in this draft, and it has done just that with one day remaining.

The Falcons will next come on the clock at pick No. 118 in the fourth round. Atlanta's only other remaining pick entering Saturday is pick No. 218, which is the second pick in the seventh round. With three distinguished defenders already in the fold, the Falcons could go a number of different directions.

Here are Atlanta's top remaining needs heading into Day 3 as well as five players it could target with its two remaining picks.

Falcons top remaining needs

ESPN: Defensive tackle | Center | Wide receiver
The Athletic: Cornerback | Offensive tackle
The Ringer: Defensive tackle | Linebacker

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Day 3 prospects Atlanta could target

Joshua Farmer, Defensive tackle (FSU) — Weighing in at 305 pounds and with significant arm length, Farmer is a player who could be an asset in clogging up run lanes. He knows how to use his long arms and upper body strength to his advantage. He could pair well within the young core of defensive tackles the Falcons already have coming along.

Charles Grant, Offensive tackle (William & Mary) — Grant is a high-upside developmental tackle prospect who has grown by leaps and bounds as a four-year starter at William & Mary. A former wrestler, Grant has a really nice foundation for NFL success, it just might take a year or two.

Tory Horton, Wide receiver (Colorado State) — Horton is over 6-foot-2, weighs 196 pounds and ran the 40-yard dash in 4.41 seconds. He had back-to-back seasons with more than 1,100 receiving yards and eight touchdowns in 2022 and 2023. Horton adds both downfield speed and leadership qualities to this offense, and he also had punt return touchdowns in three consecutive seasons and could fill that role in Atlanta.

Jalen Royals, Wide receiver (Utah State) — A standout at the Senior Bowl, Royals could easily be one of the first players off the board on Day 3. He has instantaneous speed as well as the body control to shake defenders out of breaks and separate from them after the catch. Royals is still developing as a route runner, but he has more than 1,900 yards and 21 touchdowns the last two seasons. That's a good starting point.

Ty Robinson, Defensive tackle (Nebraska) — After shoring up the speed off the edge with their first two draft picks, the Falcons could still use some size within the defensive interior. Even though Robinson isn't the biggest body available, he plays with a toughness and tenacity that would play well within this defensive rotation, which could always use more bodies.