The Atlanta Falcons are expressing excitement over their rookie class from April’s NFL Draft. In particular, the franchise is enthusiastic about first-round picks Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. While Pearce has been turning heads in training camp, he drew attention for the wrong reasons on Sunday.
“Rookie James Pearce Jr. was the main character today. He set off two scrums on back-to-back plays — the first going at it with Ryan Neuzil and Matthew Bergeron (who had some words), and the second with Kaleb McGary,” wrote Adnan Ikic of The Falcoholic.
Meanwhile, Walker was unable to participate in Sunday’s practice. No specific reason was provided, but defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich gave an encouraging update.
“There’s just working on some stuff with his body but he’s going to be alright,” Ulbrich told the media.
That’s a promising sign for Walker, suggesting there’s no serious concern. Ulbrich has already developed a vision for how he plans to utilize the rookie’s versatility.
“On first and second down, I want, especially Jalon, to really have an opportunity to just master playing on the edge because I think that there’s something there that’s really special,” Ulbrich said. “Give him an opportunity just to have one home initially and become as good as he can at that. Then, from a third-down perspective, we can get creative with him, and that’ll be part of his superpower.”
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Despite being a rookie, Walker has shown a strong sense of confidence and comfort in his role within the defense.
“Since OTAs and now at training camp, I’ve been with the outside backers. I’m ready to roll in my role,” said Walker.
Walker’s confidence is an encouraging sign for Atlanta. It appears his absence from practice was precautionary. Hopefully, he’ll benefit from the day off on Monday before putting on pads Tuesday. After a mysterious missed session, Ulbrich’s comments suggest Walker is doing just fine.
