“Building for the Future: Atlanta Falcons Score Big with Impressive 2025 NFL Draft Haul”

Falcons believe draft class can help the team now

The Atlanta Falcons draft class is everything assistant general manager Kyle Smith expected. The Falcons drafted defense heavy as they selected Jalon Walker with the 15th pick, James Pierce (26th), Xavier Watts (96th), and Billy Bowman Jr (118th) with four out of five picks. Smith understands that all the picks must go through a developmental period as they transition from college to the NFL.

According to a May 1st article by Terrin Waack , Smith sees the potential in both Jalon and James.

“There’s a development piece that has to happen with all these guys,” Smith said. “Like there is a development piece to Jalon; he’s going to go in that edge room and we’re going to have him master one position to start. James, there’s still a development piece. They’re all (in need of) development. But obviously the lower you go in the draft, the more probably development pieces that there are.”

Falcons feel like Pierce was worth trading up for

The Falcons addressed the pass rush and the secondary with their picks as they only had 5 draft picks total. It was a high price to pay to enter back in the first round for Pierce but the Falcons believe he is worth the risk.

“We always talk about intangibles, and we want to bring in guys that love ball and love to compete as we build this roster the right way,” Fontenot said. “We spent a lot of time with him making sure that he was going to fit.”

“James is on a mission,” Walker said. “We’re all on a mission. We are here today because we have a mission. We have pride in how we perform and how we go about things. My goal for me and James is just to keep pushing each other to the best of the ability we can.”

Analysis says the Falcons have a top-five draft class

According to an Athletic article by Austin Mack the Falcons did a great job drafting based on his analysis-base system:

The Falcons had a top-five draft? Really? I don’t necessarily agree with it, but I understand how we got there. So, our formula saw their controversial trade back into the first round for James Pearce Jr. as giving up the equivalent of a late first-rounder. That’s not great, but they managed to overcome it overall.

It starts with their selection of Jalon Walker, who plays a premium position and was drafted below consensus. Pearce also plays a premium position, so that helped the Falcons’ cause. Still, I can’t get over how “same-y” they appear to be, with each playing the same position and weighing less than 250 pounds. I have concerns about how those players will fit together into the same scheme outside of passing situations.

There have been mixed reviews from pundits on Atlanta drafts as some have them with a grade of an A and some have them with a D. The draft class will not be determined by the premature grading of the draft but by the results on the field. The Falcons will count on the defense this season to be a complement to the strong offense that was built through the draft.