The 2025 NFL Draft has come to a close with Atlanta making five picks. Those picks included two selections in the first round, and one pick in the third, fourth and seventh rounds. It became clear shortly after the draft that the Falcons successfully let the board come to them in a way that maximized value. NFL analyst Warren Sharp released a chart showing the drafts that generated the best value, and the Falcons were right there at the top.
Consulting three notable draft boards — The Athletic, Dane Brugler's Beast and ESPN/Scouts Inc. — it's also clear the Falcons found good value throughout the weekend.
Jalon Walker was the fourth-ranked prospect and second-ranked player at his position by Scouts Inc. He was Brugler's fifth-overall player and second-ranked edge rusher; he was seventh overall on The Athletic's board. Walker was the first linebacker off the board and the third edge defender taken this year. He was one of 28 edge defenders who were selected in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Scouts Inc. had James Pearce Jr., ranked highest among the three boards. The Tennessee Vol was their 16th-ranked player and fourth-ranked edge rusher. He ranked 21st on the Athletic's big board and was Brugler's 36th-ranked prospect and seventh-ranked edge defender. Brugler was lower on Pearce than the other two boards. Pearce was the fifth edge defender selected and the fourth in the first round.
Consensus Draft Boards
| Player | Pick | The Athletic | The Beast | Scouts Inc. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jalon Walker | 15 | 7 | 5 | 4 |
| James Pearce Jr. | 26 | 21 | 36 | 16 |
| Xavier Watts | 96 | 50 | 54 | 70 |
| Billy Bowman Jr. | 118 | 84 | 85 | 102 |
| Jack Nelson | 218 | N/A | N/A | 169 |
Xavier Watts and Billy Bowman were both significant values, according to these draft boards. Watts was the Athletic's 50th-ranked prospect while Brugler had him 54th overall, third among safeties. According to Scouts Inc., Watts was the 70th-rated player and fourth at his position. He was the sixth of 19 safeties selected this year.
Bowman, the 118th overall pick, was the 84th player on the Athletic's big board. He was 85th overall and ranked fifth at safety, according to Brugler. He was Scouts Inc.'s 102nd-overall prospect and seventh at his position. Bowman was the eighth safety selected this year.
Atlanta's final pick of the weekend, Jack Nelson, was not ranked by The Athletic, which only ranks the top 100 players. Brugler listed Nelson as his 17th tackle on his position rankings. Scouts Inc. also had Nelson as their 17th-rated tackle, and he was ranked 169th overall by the scouting service. Atlanta landed the Wisconsin product as the 21st tackle off the board.
Day 1
Round 1 | No. 15 Overall | Edge Jalon Walker
Atlanta selected Georgia edge rusher Jalon Walker in the first round (15th overall) of the 2025 NFL Draft. Walker spent three seasons (2022-24) at Georgia, totaling 89 tackles (56 solo), 12.5 sacks, three passes defensed and one forced fumble in 43 games for the Bulldogs. The 6-foot-2, 245-pound edge tallied 60 tackles (37 solo), 10.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, two passes defensed and one forced fumble in 14 games in 2024, earning the Butkus Award as the nation's top linebacker. Walker recorded seven quarterback pressures, three sacks and a fumble recovery against Texas in 2024, earning SEC Defensive Player of the Week honors.
In 2024, Walker led the Bulldogs with 34 pressures and posted a team-best 17.2% pass rush win rate, ranking seventh in pass rush snaps according to the Athletics' Dane Brugler. The Butkus Award winner also had 6.5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss in his final season in Athens.
Read about Walker
Scouting Reports
"Walker played a hybrid linebacker role (mostly two-point stance) in head coach Kirby Smart's scheme, splitting his snaps between inside linebacker, outside linebacker and edge rusher (Walker: "I'm at my best being a chess piece"). His role and production increased each of the past three seasons, and he led the Bulldogs in almost every pass-rushing metric in 2024, including pressures (34) and pass rush win percentage (17.2), despite ranking seventh on the team in pass-rush snaps."
"Walker has a shredded, muscular frame and long arms. He's an incredibly versatile playmaker who lined up and made plays for the Bulldogs both off the ball as a linebacker and on the edge as a pass rusher. He's an explosive athlete who has elite closing burst, whether he's chasing down a ballcarrier or getting to the quarterback for a sack. He ups the intensity of the defense and plays with a tenacious style on the edge, using unrelenting rips, clubs, and hump moves to dispatch his blocker."
"Some see Walker as a "tweener" while others view him as a "hybrid." Either way, Walker can go. His career snap count is split between edge and linebacker, and his leadership is famous in the Georgia building. He's still working to fine-tune his instincts and efficiency as an off-ball linebacker but has the take-on and closing burst to become a productive pro at that spot. He's tough but small as an early down edge rusher, but his athletic talent and suddenness to attack both edges makes him a menace for tackles. The most valuable usage for Walker is likely to come as an early down linebacker who can rush off the edge or match up across the line as a blitzer on passing downs."
Round 1 | No. 26 | Edge James Pearce Jr.
The Falcons weren't satisfied with just one pass rusher on the first night of the 2025 NFL Draft. Atlanta traded pick Nos. 46, 242 and a 2026 first-round pick to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for pick Nos. 26 and 101. With the 26th overall pick, the Falcons selected Tennessee edge rusher James Pearce Jr.
Pearce appeared in 39 games over three seasons (2022-24) for Tennessee, totaling 71 tackles (44 solo), 19.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, three passes defensed and one interception. The 6-foot-5, 243-pound edge totaled a team-leading 7.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss in 2024, adding 38 tackles (23 solo). He earned back-to-back first-team All-SEC honors in his sophomore and junior seasons and was a 2024 Bednarik Award Semifinalist, presented annually to the nation's defensive player of the year. Pearce ranked sixth in the FBS and led the SEC with 107 pressures over his final two seasons while also leading the team in sacks and tackles for loss during that span.
Read about Pearce
Scouting Reports
"Pearce is a fast, linear athlete who can win races to the edge or collapse the pocket with force behind his extended, upward levers (23 percent pass rush win rate in 2024, second best in the FBS)... Overall, Pearce is upright and frenetic in his play style, but his blend of explosiveness and power creates consistent disruption as a pass rusher. He shows promise in the run game, too. If he works to maximize his talent, he will be a productive pro."
"Pearce has a slender, long-levered frame, an explosive first step, and twitchy movement skills. The three-year contributor for the Volunteers is a bouncy, flexible athlete who uses effective Euro-steps and cross chops to discard blocks on the edge. His acceleration off the snap immediately threatens the outside shoulders of opposing tackles, giving him the ability to slice back inside on a countermove or convert speed to power on a bull rush. He fires a long-arm stab into the chests of opposing tackles to drive them into the pocket."
"Pearce finishes as my top prospect in the 2025 class for a litany of reasons. He has a unique, towering frame with room to add 10 to 15 pounds and possesses all the attributes to be a regularly disruptive pass-rusher in the NFL."
Trade Talk
Atlanta's first-round trade marked the club's first move in the first round since 2019, when the Falcons sent second- and third-round picks (Nos. 45 and 79) to the Rams for the 31st overall selection to pick up tackle Kaleb McGary. The 2019 first round produced a pair of offensive linemen that gave Atlanta stability at right guard (Chris Lindstrom) and right tackle (McGary), which persists today. Looking to bolster their pass rush, the Falcons took a similar approach on Thursday night by picking up Walker at No. 15 and trading back into the first to grab Pearce.
"We look at the trade charts and all that stuff, but at some point you have to look at 'ok who's the player and what are we really getting and is it worth it,'" GM Terry Fontenot said. "That's what you really have to do at some point. When you have that type of conviction in the player, that's when you're willing to do it."
Atlanta would make a Day 2 trade for the fifth consecutive year, when Terry Fontenot sent the 101st overall pick and a 2026 fifth-round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for the 96th pick.
The Falcons received the 101st pick from the Los Angeles Rams in the Thursday night trade to move back into the first round. That pick was originally a compensatory selection awarded to LA when Atlanta hired Raheem Morris in 2024 as part of a recent update to the Rooney Rule. According to the NFL, in November 2020, team owners approved a proposal rewarding teams who developed minority talent that went on to become GMs or head coaches across the league. If a team lost a minority executive or coach to another team, that team would receive a third-round compensatory pick for two years.
Draft IQ
New for 2025, Next Gen Stats has produced two new tools: Draft IQ and Combine IQ. These tools utilize drill performance and measurements with historical comparisons and position-specific benchmarks to generate unique scores for athleticism and college production as well as a comprehensive draft score. These scores are designed to analyze how specific attributes contribute to potential success in the NFL.
Classified as a linebacker at the NFL Combine, Walker's 84 athleticism score was the top score for the position group while his 80 overall Draft score ranked third according to Next Gen Stats' Combine IQ. By utilizing historical data, Combine IQ generates these metrics to predict the likelihood of future success. Athleticism scores break down to how athletic a prospect is relative to position-specific thresholds. Among linebackers, Athleticism scores are among the highest correlated to success.
Among edge defenders at the Combine, Walker tied for third in Athleticism score. He and Pearce tied for fourth in Draft score while Pearce also ranked fourth in production score.
Since 2021, Terry Fontenot has placed a premium on athleticism with his early picks. None of the 11 players he has selected in the first or second rounds have recorded Athleticism and Draft scores below 72 and 74, respectively. The average Athletic score of Fontenot's six first-round picks is 81.5, and the average production score sits at 85. The average Draft score of Atlanta's first-round picks under Fontenot's direction is 86. In the first and second rounds, Fontenot's picks have average Athleticism and Production scores of 80, and an average Draft score of 82.
Day 2
Round 3 | No. 96 | Safety Xavier Watts
After waiting for much of day two, Atlanta made another move sending the 101st overall pick and a 2026 fifth rounder to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for the 96th pick. The Falcons used the 96th pick to select Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts. Known for his ball-hawking abilities, the two-time All-American played in 55 career games, logging 188 tackles (117 solo), 8.5 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, 1.5 sacks, 18 passes defensed and 13 interceptions. In 2024, Watts made 82 tackles adding six picks and 10 passes defensed.
The Omaha, Neb., native was the Fighting Irish's first two-time consensus All-American since 1993 and was one of two players to earn back-to-back honors in 2023 and 2024, joining Colorado's Travis Hunter. In 2023, Watts won the Nagurski Trophy, awarded to the nation's top defender. According to Next Gen Stats Combine IQ, he tied Georgia safety Malaki Starks for the second-highest Production score (78) and trailed only South Carolina's Nick Emmanwori (85) and Starks (78) in Draft score at 76.
More on Watts:
Scouting Reports
"Without imposing size or high-level explosiveness, Watts has been a slow-burn evaluation for NFL scouts, but his playmaking instincts are indisputable on tape. Although his aggressive nature leads to occasional mistakes, he plays with a quick, decisive trigger and his tone-setting toughness pops versus both run and pass... he is a solid run defender with the route anticipation and ball skills to sniff out plays from depth. He projects as an NFL starter and would fit best in a split-safety, zone-heavy scheme, in which he can play two-deep and underneath zone."
"Watts has good size, a muscular frame, and long arms. A former receiver turned linebacker then safety, he's a two-time All-American with the do-it-all skill set to thrive both in run support and against the pass. He played all over the defensive formation for the Fighting Irish in 2024, logging snaps in the box, at free safety, and at slot corner. He reacts quickly in coverage and is able to mirror early in the route, then flip his hips and run with pass catchers over the middle of the field... Watts is a highly versatile defensive back with proven ball production and excellent instincts; he can line up and make plays from multiple spots in the secondary."
"Safety with the versatility and ball skills to make plays from a variety of alignments. Watts plays with rare feel and instincts on the back-end, allowing him to range over the top in single-high or read and drive on throws as a split safety. Watts lined up over the slot at times in college, but he might not have the man-cover talent to do that as a pro. His ball skills and production are intoxicating, but his run support and tackling are quite sobering. Watts lacks pursuit discipline and fails to break down in space, leading to open-field misses and back-breaking mistakes. The tackling lowers his floor some, but I expect him to drift toward his ceiling because he's so good on the back-end."
Day 3
Round 4 | No. 118 | Defensive Back Billy Bowman Jr.
The Falcons kicked off Day 3 by selecting a fourth consecutive defensive player, pulling Oklahoma defensive back Billy Bowman Jr.'s name off the board at pick 118. A four-year starter for the Sooners, Bowman totaled 88 tackles (32 solo), 11 interceptions, 11 passes defensed and one forced fumble in 46 games. The 5-foot-10, 194-pound defensive back started all 12 regular-season games at safety in 2024, totaling 54 tackles, two interceptions, two fumble recoveries, 2.5 tackles for loss and three passes defensed.
Interception Leaders | 2022-2024
| Player | School | INT |
|---|---|---|
| Xavier Watts | Notre Dame | 13 |
| Nohl Williams | Cal/UNLV | 12 |
| Billy Bowman | Oklahoma | 11 |
| Bud Clark | TCU | 11 |
| Six Players | - | 11 |
Bowman's 11 interceptions from 2022-24 rank tied for third nationally over that span, with Atlanta's third-round selection Xavier Watts leading the nation with 13. From 2022-2023, Bowman led the country with 249 interception return yards and tied for the national lead with three interceptions returned for a touchdown.
More on Bowman
Scouting Reports
"With his range, fluidity and post-snap diagnosing skills, Bowman anticipates well in coverage to drive and finish at the football, and he's a threat to score every time he touches the ball... Overall, Bowman falls short in the size and strength categories, but he is among the best safeties in this class in terms of football IQ, movement skills and competitive urgency. His disruptive versatility on the backend will force teams to consider how much they are willing to compromise on desired size."
"The only things keeping Bowman from a higher grade is a lack of NFL size and his inconsistencies as a tackler. He's fluid and athletic to man up over the slot. He's meddlesome to float around looking for playmaking opportunities in zone coverage. He'll struggle matching on big bodies and will get beat on jump balls downfield. He loves to rocket downhill to support the run but he lacks stopping power and will miss his share of tackles. His size and tackling inconsistency might be a concern for some teams, but he's too instinctive and versatile to overlook as a safety/corner hybrid with starting talent."
Round 7 | No. 218 | Offensive lineman Jack Nelson
With the 218th pick, their final pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Atlanta Falcons selected Wisconsin offensive lineman Jack Nelson. The 6-foot-7, 318-pound Wisconsin native started 51 of 50 career games for the Badgers and was a three-time Honorable Mention All-Big Ten honoree. Nelson started all 13 games in 2021 at right guard before moving to left tackle, where he started the final 37 games of his career. Wisconsin averaged 4.6 yards per rush and 366.9 total yards per game across Nelson's four seasons along the offensive line.
More on Nelson
Scouting Reports
"The son of an NFL draft pick, he grew up in an offensive line family and learned under four offensive line coaches in Madison, making key improvements from his junior to senior seasons. Nelson has functional athleticism in his setup to handle swing-tackle duties."
"Durable four-year starter with Wisconsin football racing through his blood. He's a better run blocker than pass protector on tape, with the quickness and athleticism to find his landmarks on move blocks. He operates with good strain and technique on base and drive blocks but won't create much push... He needs to get stronger, but his instincts and awareness in protection could pair with his range as a move blocker for consideration by zone-heavy teams."
Join us as we take a look at the 2025 NFL draft class for the Atlanta Falcons, presented by American Family Insurance.
Georgia linebacker Jalon Walker (11) sets up for a play against Alabama during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)
Georgia linebacker Jalon Walker (11) sacks TCU quarterback Max Duggan (15) during the second half of the national championship NCAA College Football Playoff game, Monday, Jan. 9, 2023, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Georgia linebacker Jalon Walker (11) works against Florida offensive lineman Austin Barber (58) during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Tennessee defensive lineman James Pearce Jr. (27) reacts to making a sack during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Kentucky, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, in Knoxville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)
Tennessee defensive lineman James Pearce Jr. (27) against Arkansas during an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Fayetteville, Ark. (AP Photo/Michael Woods)
UTEP quarterback JP Pickles (19) is sacked by Tennessee defensive lineman James Pearce Jr. (27) during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, in Knoxville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)
Tennessee defensive lineman James Pearce Jr. (27) lines up for a play during an NCAA football game against Arkansas on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Fayetteville, Ark. Arkansas won 19-14. (AP Photo/Mike Buscher)
Photos of the Georgia Tech vs Notre Dame Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga. on Saturday, October 19, 2024. (Photo by Taylor McLaughlin/Mercedes-Benz Stadium)
Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts (0) leaps up to try and make an interception near the sideline as Northern Illinois full back Brock Lampe (49) defends during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in South Bend, Ind. (AP Photo/Michael Caterina)
Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts (0) tries to rip the ball away from Virginia quarterback Anthony Colandrea (10) during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in South Bend, Ind. (AP Photo/Michael Caterina)
Scenes from the College Football National Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga. on Monday, January 20, 2025. (Photo by Taylor McLaughlin/Mercedes-Benz Stadium)
Oklahoma defensive back Billy Bowman Jr. (2) celebrates after intercepting a Texas pass in the first half of an NCAA college football game in Dallas, Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Oklahoma defensive back Billy Bowman Jr. (2) tackles UCF running back RJ Harvey (7) in the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023, in Norman, Okla. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
Oklahoma Sooners defensive back Billy Bowman Jr. warms up before an NCAA college football game against Texas at the Cotton Bowl, Saturday, Oct. 13, 2024, in Dallas. Texas won 34-3. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)
Oklahoma defensive back Billy Bowman Jr. (2) tackles BYU running back Aidan Robbins (3) during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023, in Provo, Utah. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
Wisconsin offensive lineman Jack Nelson smiles on the bench during the an NCAA college football game against Illinois Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023, in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Wisconsin's Jack Nelson lines up during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Georgia Southern Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023, in Madison, Wis. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
Wisconsin's Jack Nelson lines up during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Georgia Southern Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023, in Madison, Wis. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
Wisconsin offensive lineman Jack Nelson (79) plays against Purdue during the second half of an NCAA college football game in West Lafayette, Ind., Friday, Sept. 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
