Falcons Earn Bold Recognition After 2025 NFL Draft

In the first round, the Falcons attacked adding edge rushers. At No. 15 overall, Fontenot selected Georgia's Jalon Walker, who most analysts didn't expect to be available in the middle of the first round.

When Tennessee's James Pearce Jr. remained on the board during the latter portion of Night 1, the Falcons traded up the draft board to select him too.

On Day 2 and early on Day 3, the Falcons added Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts and Oklahoma defensive back Billy Bowman Jr.

Fontenot had to execute another trade up the board for Watts. Because of those moves, the Falcons are set up to have another small draft class in 2026. Atlanta added five players in this year's draft, and the team has five selections next year.

The Falcons will also be without a first-round pick because of the move up for Pearce.

Analysts can be critical of Fontenot's "self-serving" choice to mortgage Atlanta's future. If his selections this year don't develop, then it could badly backfire.

But on paper, it's not likely to backfire. Just simply looking at what the Falcons were able to add to edge rusher and safety, as Cameron did, it's rather easy to like the prospects of how much better those units could be in Atlanta next season.

In 2024, the Falcons were ranked 31st in sacks. They were also 22nd in passing yards yielded and 31st in passing touchdowns allowed.