Falcons surprise rookie working with first team defense

Contrary to previous draft classes, the general consensus was positive surrounding the Falcons 2025 draft class.

The first round picks — Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. — will grab all of the headlines. But beyond them, the Falcons focused almost exclusively on defense, taking the best player available at positions of dire need with each selection. It was a breath of fresh air for fans that have been begging the organization to fix the defense, and several rookies are already making a name for themselves early on in training camp.

With Jalon Walker sidelined with a hamstring injury, James Pearce Jr. is making his presence felt. Coaches and players have been lauding him for the intensity he is bringing to practice, even if he has seemingly crossed the line on a couple of occasions, finding himself in the middle of three different scuffles with teammates.

Pearce looks like he could be a day one contributor to the Falcons defense, but that’s to be expected with a first round pick. If Terry Fontenot manages to find a starter with either of his day 2 or 3 selections, he really is deserving of some praise for his work during the draft.

Atlanta’s third-round pick, Xavier Watts, very easily could be named the full-time starter next to Jessie Bates III. If he’s not ready by Week 1, a promotion in the middle of the season feels like a more than reasonable proposition given his production in college.

Another guy to watch out for is Billy Bowman Sr., a safety at the University of Oklahoma who was more of a jack-of-all-trades. He’s currently entrenched in a battle with Dee Alford and Clark Phillips III for the role as the team’s starting nickel cornerback. It’s too soon to know who will win that competition, but Bowman is already getting opportunities with the first team defense.