This Falcons trade is already paying massive dividends

Pearce also ranks fourth in Splash Plays, behind some pretty good company — Ed Oliver, Myles Garrett, and Will Anderson Jr.

He looks to have the makings of the Falcons first dominant pass rusher since John Abraham was terrorizing opposing quarterbacks in the Georgia Dome, and his presence has already completely flipped the narrative surrounding Atlanta’s pass rush. Through two weeks, the Falcons rank second in both pressure rate and sack rate. They also rank fifth in sacks with seven.

But Pearce is not the only home run that came out of the trade. It’s often overlooked, but the Falcons also acquired a third-round selection from the Rams in the deal, which became Xavier Watts, who has been another key cog in Atlanta’s defensive resurgence.

The Notre Dame product won the starting safety job next to Jessie Bates III with his preseason performance. He made several critical third down stops against the Bucs in Week 1 and notched his first interception to seal the Falcons win over the Vikings in Week 2. Watts’ ball skills were his calling card in college, and that nose for the football has been apparent on several occasions through the first two games.

Terry Fontenot has received a ton of criticism since taking over the Falcons, most of which has been deserved. He entered the season on the hottest of seats, but the vision is all starting to come together. If the Falcons end up netting two defensive pillars with this trade, which looks likely to be the case, it doesn’t matter where that first round pick in 2026 lands. Fontenot should be praised for his aggression in fixing what’s been the Falcons most glaring issue for well over a decade.