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Atlanta Falcons snagged an absolute steal in the NFL Draft who's putting in work at rookie minicamp after strong Notre Dame career

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Ryan Roberts | Last updated May 12, 2025 4:38 PM ET

Before the 2025 NFL Draft officially kicked off, many believed that former Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts had the potential to go inside of the top 50 overall selections. Watts had an outstanding final two seasons with the Fighting Irish, ending his career with 188 total tackles, 13 interceptions, 18 pass breakups, and nine tackles for loss. He went from talented athlete to one of the best to ever wear the blue and gold by the end of his time in South Bend.

After that historic stretch, and solid testing at the Notre Dame Pro Day, it appeared that the talented safety could contend to be the third safety off of the board. Instead, Watts saw himself slide a bit and ended up going with the No. 96 overall selection in the third round to the Atlanta Falcons. While that wait was probably frustrating, Watts ends up in a pretty interesting spot.

The 5-11, 205-pound ballhawk is now paired with Jessie Bates III, combining to create one of the more potentially dynamic safety duos in the entire NFL. It should be no surprise to any that Watts is already turning heads at rookie minicamp. By all accounts, Watts is picking up the defense quickly and has been impressing both the coaches and media that has been in attendance.

Individual drills for third round pick Xavier Watts. 13 INT over 2 years at Notre Dame. #Falcons pic.twitter.com/rFIWiwvO32
— Maria Martin (@Ria_Martin) May 9, 2025

Some doubted Watts throughout the draft process due to the fact that Watts is a good, but not dynamic athlete. He is more of a two-high safety who does his best work making plays from the hash to sideline. With just average long speed, Watts range is definitely a better fit working downhill and laterally than from depth.

Watts flashing his football IQ is the least surprising bit of news that Fighting Irish fans will receive. The biggest strength for Watts as a player is his processing speed, quickly followed by his ball skills. If utilized properly, Watts has a chance to be a dynamic weapon on the next level.

A few years from now, there’s a very strong chance we could be talking about Watts as one of the biggest steals in the 2025 class. His combination of ball skills, football IQ, and smoothness as an athletes give him the upside to become a good starter on the next level. Every Falcons fan is going to become a huge fan of Watts in the very near future.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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