Atlanta Falcons Camp Battles: Safety

The Atlanta Falcons needed an infusion of talent on every level of their defense. They invested heavily on that side of the ball in the offseason, including safety. They invested a third-round draft choice and signed a veteran free agent at the position in order to replace the departing Justin Simmons. 

It looks like rookie Xavier Watts and sixth-year pro Jordan Fuller will battle it out to fill the spot next to Jessie Bates III. Perhaps the best free agent signing in team history, Bates brings talent and a ballhawk persona mixed with a ferocious hitting mentality to the field.

Meanwhile, his partner in the secondary struggled last year. Justin Simmons was acquired late in the process after DeMarcco Hellams went down with an injury in the preseason. Simmons never looked like the four-time second-team All-Pro that he was for the Broncos. Instead, he looked out of place in acres of space in former defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake’s passive-prevent defense.  

Fuller entered the fold in March – signing a one-year $1.3-million contract with just $80,000 in guaranteed money according to Spotrac. After an interception-less year in Carolina, the 27-year-old is hoping his experience as a pro helps him win the starting job in camp.

Fuller is a sound tackler, with form and technique as his calling card. He wraps up with a firm grip, driving through the target. He’s hoping his experience gives him an edge, but for all intents and purposes, he’s just keeping a seat warm for Xavier Watts – the third-round pick from Notre Dame.  

Watts holds virtually every other advantage over Fuller except NFL experience. At 6-foot-0 and 204 pounds, he’s two inches shorter than Fuller, but virtually the same weight. He ran a 4.56 forty-yard dash at his pro day compared with the 4.67 Fuller had in 2020. He brings an impressive resume to Atlanta including 13 interceptions the last two years at Notre Dame and a Nagurski Trophy for being the nation’s top defensive player in 2023.