James Pearce Jr. seen as Falcons’ top DROY candidate

The Falcons selected pass rushers Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. in the first round of the NFL draft this year.

Last season, Rams pass rusher Jared Verse, who was taken 19th overall, was named the 2024 NFL defensive rookie of the year by The Associated Press.

Pro Football Sports Network analyst Jacob Infante selected one player from each NFL team with the best chance to claim the defensive rookie-of-the-year (DROY) honors in 2025. He selected Pearce, who was selected 26th overall, as the Falcons’ top candidate.

“The Atlanta Falcons double-dipped on edge rushers in Round 1, selecting Jalon Walker (who was selected 15th overall) and trading up for James Pearce Jr. in the back end of the round,” Infante wrote. “Both are talented players, but I give Pearce the slight edge for DROY contention.”

The award is the most impactful way for first-year defenders to make their presence known around the NFL.

“Pearce led the SEC with 10 sacks in 2023, and he followed up with 7.5 more sacks in 2024,” Infante wrote. “His elite athleticism off the edge gives him serious pass-rushing juice. Five of the last six DROY winners were edge rushers; Pearce should be a front-runner if he lives up to expectations.”

Infante noted that all 32 of the past winners of defensive rookie of the year have reached at least one Pro Bowl, with 25 making multiple appearances. Since the inception of the award in 1967, 12 winners have gone to enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.