Tennessee’s James Pearce tabbed as ‘steal’ if able to fix character concerns with Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons entered draft night with one major concern—and there was only one way to address it. After a disappointing season in terms of pass rush and sack production, it was clear their top priority was selecting an edge presence. With the No. 15 pick, the Falcons did just that, selecting Georgia’s Jalon Walker and making franchise history in the process.

Walker is a true do-it-all defender, giving the Falcons the flexibility to deploy him either as an edge rusher or a linebacker, depending on the game's demands.

“Call him an edge rusher. Call him a linebacker. Call him a hybrid of the two. Whatever you call him, just make sure you use the word 'versatile' when describing his play, because that's exactly what it is,” wrote Tori McElhaney.

The pick itself feels like a bit of a steal, as Walker wasn’t expected to fall that far. But Atlanta wasn’t finished. Later in the first round, they made a bold move, trading up with the Los Angeles Rams.

“The Falcons swapped picks with the Rams, giving up quite the haul to move back into the first round to select defensive end James Pearce Jr. at No. 26,” MTPeterson wrote.

This move followed rumors that Atlanta was heavily interested in Pearce—or Walter Nolen—despite character concerns surrounding both players. Pearce had once been projected as the top overall pick in every mock draft following last year’s cycle. However, a wave of negative reports caused his stock to drop. If he can overcome those doubts, he might turn out to be the biggest steal of the draft.

“There aren't 25 players better than James Pearce Jr. in this draft. If he grows up and behaves like a professional, that's a steal of a pick. But he'll have to grow up in Atlanta. So ... we'll see,” Wes Rucker posted.

There’s no question Pearce has the talent. But for the other 31 teams, his character concerns and on-field inconsistency made him a risky investment.