Though some may have deemed it desperate—if not outright questionable—the draft strategy the Atlanta Falcons employed in this year’s event has been heavily debated.
Atlanta began the draft with the No. 15 overall pick, selecting Georgia edge rusher Jalon Walker. Then, just 11 picks later, they traded back into the first round to select Tennessee edge rusher James Pearce Jr.
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The move was undoubtedly risky, as the Falcons traded their 2026 first-round selection to the Los Angeles Rams, as well as their 2025 second-round pick.
According to SI’s Albert Breer, the strategy used by Atlanta is one to take notes from, especially considering their trade partner—the Rams—used a similar blueprint in last year’s draft.
“Before the draft, Atlanta looked at what the Rams did in 2024 to restock the defense that Raheem Morris had just left behind in L.A. as a model, with GM Les Snead and coach Sean McVay landing Jared Verse in the first round, Braden Fiske in the second round, and safety Kam Kinchens in the third round, Breer wrote.
“The Falcons wanted to come away with two players for their front, plus a nickel or safety, over the draft’s first two days. And it’s one reason why it was so important for the Falcons, if they were going to trade away their second-round pick in the move up to get James Pearce Jr., that they wound up with a Friday pick in return. The Rams obliged in the Falcons’ move back into the first round, sending them the 101st pick, which, interestingly, they were given for hiring Morris away from them in January 2024.”
The Falcons effectively used the 101st pick to address another pressing defensive need, further adhering to their mimicking of the Rams’ previous draft plan.
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“Atlanta then packaged a 2026 fifth-rounder with No. 101 to go up to No. 96, and land Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts,” Breer continued. “So in the end, in landing both Jalon Walker and Pearce, then Watts, they got done what they wanted to get done, with their version of the Verse-Fiske-Watts troika—even if it was a little pricey to pull it off.”
Bucky Brooks at NFL.com said Watts is a “perfect” fit for the Falcons and their overall scheme.
“After watching veteran Jessie Bates III flourish in the Falcons’ scheme, Raheem Morris handpicked Watts to play alongside the veteran star. The Notre Dame standout is an outstanding center fielder with 13 interceptions and 31 passes defensed as a two-year starter,” Brooks wrote. “As the Falcons look to pick off tipped and overthrown passes with an upgraded pass rush, Watts could immediately make an impact as a playmaking specialist in a ballhawking defensive backfield.”
For all the criticism the Falcons faced leading up to the draft about their lack of defensive investment—especially with regard to their pass rush—they did a lot with seemingly little after making just five total picks.
