Falcons select Xavier Watts with No. 96 pick in 2025 NFL Draft

Atlanta made a deal with the Philadelphia Eagles to move up in the third round and grab Watts.

Apr 25, 2025 at 11:04 PM

Terrin Waack

Falcons Digital Team Reporter

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons traded up in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft to select University of Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts with the No. 96 overall pick.

The Falcons received No. 96 from the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for Atlanta's No. 101, also in the third round, and a 2026 fifth-rounder.

Watts was Notre Dame's first two-time consensus All-American since 1993, and he was one of only two players alongside Colorado's Travis Hunter to be named a consensus All-American in both 2023 and 2024. He finished out his five-year collegiate career with 13 interceptions and 31 passes defended.

Learn more about the Falcons' new addition below.

Height: 6 feet

Weight: 205 lbs

Age: 23

School: University of Notre Dame

2024 Stats: 16 starts | 82 tackles (3.5 for loss) | 16 passes defended (6 interceptions) | 1 forced fumble

Click to view complete college stats

How he fits with the Falcons: Watts doesn't have athleticism that leaps off the tape or rare size, but he is an excellent football player. He has a feel for the game that seems almost preternatural at times, as evidenced by his 13 interceptions the last two seasons, which were the most of any player in college football. Like many of the defenders Atlanta has sought in the draft, Watts is a versatile player who played free safety, box safety and even linebacker during his career with the Irish. Watts also fits the character profile the Falcons seek and was a two-time team captain. Pairing Watts with Jessie Bates III gives Atlanta two safeties with very high football IQs who can work well off of each other to create confusion for opposing quarterbacks.

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Expert Opinions

Dane Brugler, The Athletic: "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. Overall, Watts isn't a safety you want playing man-to-man coverage against slot receivers very often, but 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."

Lance Zierlein, NFL.com: "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."