Falcons Land Unexpected Spot in Under-25 Talent Rankings

The Atlanta Falcons have had five top 15 picks in the last six years and have collected a solid core of young talent for new head coach Kevin Stefanski.

So it was a little surprising to see the Falcons ranked No. 22 on ESPN's recent ranking of under-25 talent across the NFL... same as last year.

Leading the way was running back Bijan Robinson, who turns 25 on January 30th of next year. Jalon Walker was also included as a "blue chip" under-25 talent. The edge rusher was selected No. 15 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft and enjoyed a strong rookie campaign.

When doing this exercise, Aaron Schatz used a player's birthdate as of September 1st, which cost the Falcons one of their top 24-year-old players. Wide receiver Drake London turns 25 on Friday.

Safety Xavier Watts is probably underrated by Schatz, who failed to list him among the blue chippers. He had a better rookie season than Walker, was included in the top safety poll ESPN conducted among NFL personnel, and was predicted to have an even bigger second season by NFL Network.

The Falcons also continue to be plagued in preseason rankings by the uncertainty surrounding James Pearce Jr. and his availability after his arrest in February. He's on a path to have all charges against him dropped, but he could still face consequences from the league.

"Rookie cornerback Avieon Terrell is just 21. Edge rushers James Pearce Jr. and Walker are both 22. (We docked the Falcons a bit based on the possibility that Pearce will need to serve some sort of suspension for off-field legal issues.) Safety Xavier Watts will be 25 in November. Nose tackle Maason Smith, who came over from Jacksonville in a trade, will turn 24 in October," Schatz wrote of the Falcons' young defenders.

Nickel Billy Bowman Jr. didn't get a mention from Schatz, which isn't totally surprising. He played well for the Falcons, but missed a month in the middle of the season before being lost for the duration following an Achilles tendon injury. Still just 23, Bowman has a chance to impact this ranking next year if he can return healthy and stay that way.

Even with some nitpicks with the rankings, the Falcons still have a talented group of young players. Had Schatz moved the slider just a little bit to the right and called it "25 and Under", London isn't the only player who would have moved the needle.

Tight end Kyle Pitts doesn't turn 26 until October. Defensive lineman Brandon Dorlus led NFC interior linemen in sacks last year; he turned 25 in March. Fellow defensive lineman Zach Harrison's 25th birthday is August 14th.

The Falcons have a veteran offensive line that will soon need some new additions for veterans like Jake Matthews, who is three years older than everyone except kicker Nick Folk and free agent quarterback Trevor Simien. But the youth on this team is in its young, talented offensive skill players and on defense.

That's a good place to start a new era for general manager Ian Cunningham and the Falcons.