Inside Falcons Draft Trade: How 'Conviction and Belief' Led to James Pearce Jr.

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank ended the team's 15th overall pick-sealing phone call to Georgia linebacker Jalon Walker with a cordial goodbye.

"Safe travels," Blank said Thursday night. "Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow."

The Falcons' phone line didn't stay silent for long. They wanted to fill more seats on Blank's plane.

Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot made exploratory calls about trading into the first round earlier in the week, which gave him an idea of which teams were willing to move out of the opening frame.

The way the draft played out only helped Atlanta's efforts. After a start Fontenot described as "chalk" -- in alignment with pundits' picks -- several players went off the board in unexpected spots. Fontenot said it gave the Falcons a better chance to move up.

And Atlanta, still searching for pass rush help despite adding a versatile piece in Walker, capitalized -- at a heavy price.

Just shy of 11 p.m. Thursday, the Falcons packaged their second-round pick (No. 46 overall), seventh-round pick (No. 242) and a 2026 first rounder to move up 20 spots with the Los Angeles Rams, who also sent a 2025 third-round pick (No. 101) back to Atlanta.

Rams general manager Les Snead said the team had several offers, but the Falcons were the best due to the future first-round pick inclusion. Snead said he didn't expect to get a 2026 first rounder entering the day, because he assumed any trade-down would be with a team in their area.

But the Falcons were aggressive. Their target? Tennessee outside linebacker James Pearce Jr., a two-time first-team All-SEC selection.

"As soon after we got off the phone at 15, we started working on getting back in, not knowing when he was going to go or anything like that," Fontenot said. "We just started working the phones, but we kind of knew that was that sweet spot right in that area down there that we thought we could get back in."

Fontenot said the Falcons were trading up for Pearce, but he also acknowledged there were other good players on the board.

"We're working the phones to get back in and we're looking at the board and all those things and trying to figure things out," Fontenot said. "But once we got to that point, we're coming back in to get Pearce."

The Falcons were enamored by Pearce's production -- he totaled 27 tackles for loss and 17.5 sacks -- in the SEC along with his athleticism, effort and competitiveness. Fontenot said Atlanta had an "exhaustive" examination into Pearce's character, which drew questions throughout the pre-draft process.

[RELATED: Why Falcons Are Comfortable with James Pearce Jr. Despite Off-Field Questions]

How confident are the Falcons in Pearce's off-field drive and commitment to football? Enough to mortgage a future first-round pick.

"With trades, it always gets to that point where you have to weigh out what you're actually doing and what you're doing it for," Fontenot said. "We look at the trade charts and all that stuff, but at some point, you have to look at who's the player, what are we really getting, and is it worth it?

"That's what you really have to do at some point. When you have that kind of conviction and belief in the player, then that's when you're willing to do it, and we do."

Fontenot added Atlanta also has conviction in its coaching staff to maximize the players it drafts and moves it makes, easing the burden of parting with valued capital.

"It's not just about the actual drafting of players, it's about getting them in the right environment and developing the right way, and we truly believe," Fontenot said. "So, it's not just believing in the players and the skill sets that we brought in here today, but it's believing in our building.

"That's the coaches, player performance, everyone in this building and believing we're going to surround these guys and make the absolute best of them. So I think there's a lot of belief and conviction in the players and also what we have here."

Citing the same "conviction and belief," Fontenot said the Falcons made their regular calls while they were on the clock at No. 15 overall, but it was just due diligence. Atlanta was excited to get Walker and didn't plan on moving the pick, even though it drained nearly the entire 10-minute allotment it had on the clock.

While Blank and Walker spoke on the phone Thursday night, Fontenot and Morris shared a warm embrace. They did so again after taking Pearce -- while Blank again wished for safe travels.

Walker, who hails from Salisbury, North Carolina, grew up within an hour from Pearce, a Charlotte native. Now, they'll take the same plane -- Blank's -- to their first day on the job as Falcons.

Thanks to a phone that didn't stop ringing.