By: Kenneth Harrison

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

The 2025 NFL Draft is over. We are going to take a look at the Atlanta Falcons draft and see how they did.

Atlanta Falcons: Draft picks

Round 1 (No. 15) Edge Jalon Walker, Georgia

Round 1 (No. 26) Edge James Pearce Jr., Tennessee

Round 3 (No. 96) S Xavier Watts, Notre Dame

Round 4 (No. 118) S Billy Bowman Jr., Oklahoma

Round 7 (No. 218) OT Jack Nelson

I like the fact that Atlanta has addressed the need for pass rushers. That has been an issue for several years. I thought last season that should have been addressed first in the draft.

Instead, they picked QB Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 pick. If they did not sign Kirk Cousins in free agency that would have been a good pick.

“It’s like, ‘Man, how do we get two of these studs,’” general manager Terry Fontenot.

“’Let’s figure out a way to do that and let’s really impact this thing.’”

They did trade up to get the 26^th pick to select Pearce. They gave up a 2026 first-rounder for that so they have to hope he lives up to his potential. As a Falcons fan I can’t help but think of recent draft picks that did not pan out.

Defensive end Takk McKinley was picked No. 26 by Atlanta in the 2017 draft. They declined his fifth-year option on his contract and he was waived during the 2020 season.

Linebacker Vic Beasley was selected No. 8 in the 2015 draft. He had a breakout second season in 2016, with 15.5 sacks. That was his only season with double-digit sacks in the five years he played for the Falcons.

Watts is a ball hawking safety and he addressed a huge need in the secondary. They were docked a 2025 fifth-round pick for violating the league’s anti-tampering policy related to signing free agents Kirk Cousins, wide receiver Darnell Mooney and tight end Charlie Woerner.

Bowman should develop into a starter at strong safety. He might play nickel in 2025, if needed.

Nelson will play behind Jake Matthews and Kaleb McGary. He can play either right or left tackle.

“It doesn’t always line up to where the need matches the board in terms of the players that are there,” Fontenot said. “But it really worked out for us and we truly were able to bring in impact players in all areas.”

The biggest needs to address after the draft are center, wide receiver and corner back.

Atlanta signed 11 undrafted rookie free agents after the draft. They are Miami DT Simeon Barrow, Kansas CB Cobee Bryant, Michigan State RB Nathan Carter, Oregon State guard Joshua Gray, North Dakota State LB Nick Kubitz, Oregon CB Dontae Manning, South Carolina TE Joshua Simon, San Jose State WR Nick Nash, Vanderbilt WR Quincy Skinner, Georgia Tech OL Jordan Williams and Iowa State S Malik Verdon.

“We kind of talk about this draft and the fact that we do believe it’s a deep draft,” Fontenot said. “I keep saying this, but it’s true: there is an eighth round this year. We’re going to be aggressive there and get some good players when the seventh-round ends.”

Mel Kiper graded the Falcons draft a C-. I give them a B because they addressed the need for pass rushers.