When the Atlanta Falcons made the surprise selection of James Pearce Jr. with the No. 26 overall pick in the NFL Draft, it was widely assumed they were simply addressing a positional need on the edge. But head coach Raheem Morris says the reasoning went deeper than that.
Pearce has already made headlines during training camp, getting into back-to-back scuffles with teammates after plays. According to Morris, that aggression isn’t just tolerated—it’s part of what the Falcons were looking for.
“It was part of our draft,” Morris said, via Tori McElhaney. “We wanted to add a little edge to our football team. We wanted to add a little edge to our rush. All the great football players that I’ve been around, they’ve got edge. They have a little bit of edge when rushing the passer—when you’re talking about some of the great pass rushers, like Aaron Donald, Von Miller, Warren Sapp, Simeon Rice. These guys who rush the passer, they have a little bit of edge.”
“Part of our whole draft, part of our whole philosophy, part of our practice, part of us becoming the team that we want to be… is acquiring players with some natural edge. That is definitely part of it. Definitely a part of what we want. Definitely a part of who we are.”
Pearce, once viewed as a potential top-15 pick, slid to No. 26 due to reported character concerns. His training camp altercations may have raised some red flags for observers, but the Falcons appear unfazed.
“We’re trying to develop a culture. And part of that is the violence. Today, it went a little too far,” said new defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich.
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The Falcons showed their belief in Pearce by trading away next year’s first-round pick to the Rams in order to secure him. While his fire and tenacity are welcomed traits, Morris and his staff will need to ensure that intensity remains controlled. The goal is to channel that edge into production—not penalties.
