Former Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts has the opportunity to be an immediate impact player with the Atlanta Falcons. Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Offseason Prep Should Help Falcons Rookie Xavier Watts Thrive

Originally posted on Atlanta Falcons on SI
By Keith Cummings | Last updated Jul 5, 2025 7:59 AM ET

Atlanta Falcons rookie safety Xavier Watts has been identified by many experts as being a steal after arriving as a third-round draft pick in April.

Watts proved at Notre Dame that he can handle the switch from offense to defense, and his diligent approach to mastering his craft saw him put in time with the guys at AUE Performance to get ready for the challenges of the NFL.

AUE founder Augustine Ume-Ezeoke told RG in an exclusive interview that after working closely with Watts, the 23-year-old reminds him very much of a bona fide NFL legend at the safety position.

"His IQ. High football intelligence. You saw it in how he trained - in the weight room, during speed work," Ume-Ezeoke told RG. "He's a communicator, a leader on the back end. Reminds me of Ed Reed in that sense."

While it was somewhat of a surprise that Watts was still available with the 96th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the intensive training the former Fighting Irish star had been doing with AUE continued to focus on dealing with inevitable adversity and setbacks.

"It played a huge role," Ume-Ezeoke said of tapping into Watts' toughness and preparation. "We talked a lot about staying level-headed - handling criticism, setbacks, and the pressure of the draft process. I'd intentionally put him in uncomfortable training situations: fatigued reps, unexpected changes, even verbal pressure. He embraced it all. That resilience is one of his biggest assets going into the league."

Of course, playing center field in the NFL is a step up in competition in all aspects of the game, so Watts entered the lab to work on the much finer details within his burgeoning game.

"We layered speed and decision-making," Ume-Ezeoke detailed. "College safeties can sometimes rely on raw athleticism, but in the NFL, a false step is the difference between a pass breakup and a touchdown. So, I designed reactive drills with motion shifts, sudden breaks, and variable tempo to challenge his timing. We also integrated NFL-level route combinations into his fieldwork to prepare for what he'll see on Sundays."

The natural ball-hawking instincts of Watts were always evident to all who saw him play at Notre Dame. Ume-Ezeoke has worked to accelerate Watts’s preparation for more complex NFL offenses.

"His pre-snap intelligence. People see the picks and hits, but what they might miss is how often he puts himself - and others - in the right spot before the snap," Ume-Ezeoke enthused. "He's going to earn trust fast because he plays with both awareness and urgency."

Plugging Watts alongside Jessie Bates III on the backend seems like a proverbial no-brainer, especially with veteran safety Justin Simmons’s stint in Atlanta lasting just one season.

A golden opportunity now presents itself for Watts to grow and learn from one of the league's very best, but Ume-Ezeoke was always high on the outstanding leadership qualities the new Falcons safety had shown him.

"He leads by example, first and foremost," Ume-Ezeoke said. "He also asks the kind of questions that elevate a group - he's not just trying to be better, he wants to understand the why, and he brings others along with him. During group sessions, younger athletes naturally gravitated to him, and he welcomed that role."

Breathing life into the Falcons’ dormant defense was never going to be just about improving the lackluster pass-rushing room. The backend is also on the rise, especially now that Watts has shown up.

This article first appeared on Atlanta Falcons on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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