Draft night trade is not something Falcons should regret

The Falcons have become a punching bag for the national media, which is difficult to argue because of their bizarre way of doing business over the last eight seasons combined with zero tangible success. The latest talking point centers on the fact that the Falcons are 3-6 and don’t even own their 2026 first-round pick.

That’s not an enviable position for any team, but with proper context, Falcons fans shouldn’t be upset about losing that draft pick, given that it was dealt on draft night in exchange for James Pearce Jr. and Xavier Watts.

Watts has been a steady force on the back end of Atlanta’s defense, starting all nine games and racking up 56 tackles, four passes defended, and a pair of interceptions. He’s quickly becoming a cornerstone piece for the defense and looks poised to be a leader for years to come. Meanwhile, Pearce has shown flashes of being a true game-wrecker as the Falcons slowly ramp up his role on the edge.

Sunday’s game was a prime example, as the rookie out of Tennessee recorded four pressures, a sack, and a forced fumble against the Colts in Germany. The raw numbers on the season — just 1.5 sacks through nine games — don’t tell the full story. His impact is clear in how much better the Falcons have become at getting after the quarterback as a whole.

For decades, Atlanta has had one of the worst pass rushes in football. You have to go all the way back to 2004 to find a Falcons defense that finished inside the top 10 in team sacks, when they led the NFL with 48. This year’s group already has 29 sacks with eight games remaining, ranking fifth in the league.

In one offseason, the Falcons have finally fixed the area that’s haunted them for nearly 20 years. They boast the No. 1 pass defense in the league, and two major reasons for that are James Pearce Jr. and Xavier Watts. The foundation is now in place for the Falcons to field one of the best defenses in football for years to come, and that’s worth far more than a first-round pick in next year’s draft.

—