When it comes to boiling down the bones of the Atlanta Falcons 2025 draft class, it's inevitable that the grades will reflect trading back into round one for James Pearce Jr.
Certainly, NFL.com analyst Gennaro Filice has hopped on the bandwagon of marking down the latest crop to join the Falcons flock, despite praising the aspect of the trade netting the Atlanta his favorite pick.
So it really comes as no surprise when Filice points toward the costly trade up as he slaps a C grade on the Falcons, and subsequently he ranks them down in the lowly 29th spot on his own post draft rundown.
On the flip side, Filice does highlight the inherent upsides in picking defensive backs Xavier Watts and Billy Bowman Jr.; both he feels are real value picks who could immediately contribute.
“The Falcons just can’t do things normally, can they? Last year, Arthur Blank gave his front office an ultimatum to figure out the quarterback position,” wrote Filice on NFL.com. “Atlanta proceeded to sign Kirk Cousins to a nine-figure deal and then shock everyone by drafting Michael Penix Jr. eighth overall.
“This year, the Falcons owner emphasized improving the defense, with everyone anticipating the eternal pass-rush problem would top the agenda. Well, it certainly did, but at what cost? When Georgia product Jalon Walker fell into the Falcons’ lap at No. 15, taking him made sense.
“But then Atlanta provided another Thursday-night stunner by trading back into Round 1 for James Pearce Jr., giving up next year’s first-round pick in the process.
“Fortune favors the bold, but is Atlanta’s process too bold?”
Watts’s arrival via the Falcons 96th overall selection has already prompted Falcons assistant general manager Kyle Smith to suggest he could be a player with starting potential. Filice concurs calling Watts his favorite pick of the Falcons’ class.
What these pundits seem to continuously overlook is that Watts was also part of the Pearce trade.
It wasn’t a future first and a second-round pick for Pearce. It was a future first and a second-round pick for Pearce and Watts. Calling Watts the Falcons’ favorite pick while chastising the Falcons for the trade seems willfully ignorant at this point.
Of course, it always helps greatly to pair a young safety alongside an established veteran, and that's the exact situation defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich has with Jessie Bates III at his disposal.
In addition to pegging Watts as his favorite pick in the Falcons draft class, Filice then goes for Bowman Jr. as being his "sleeper" pick.
Despite Filice pointing out his slightly undersized frame, all Bowman does is start games and make plays. Infact, the former Oklahoma Sooners cornerback ideally fits the mold as a feisty and instinctively defensive back, a nice fit for Ulbrich, who will quite rightly line up Bowman in the slot.
To a large extent, this was always a draft class during which Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot was going to take hearty swings if he got the half the chance.
Therefore, if Fontenot is going to successfully alleviate the mounting pressure on himself and head coach Raheem Morris, it's a bare minimum that at least 2 or 3 defensive rookies start games and really produce.
The class of 2024 was redshirted last year. The class of 2025 won’t have that luxury. There will be a lot of new faces on the Falcons defense this year including an infusion of young talent that was sorely needed.
