The Falcons put together a universally loved draft class. Of course, there are a few detractors, but they’re doing so for the sake of being cynics.

About the only reasonable bit of criticism is whether Terry Fontenot paid too much to trade back into the first round to land a prospect in James Pearce Jr., who has his own criticisms.

Pearce’s motivation questions, along with the capital traded for the 26th overall pick, are literally the only *could be* negatives of Fontenot’s 2025 draft class. Even still, it’s possible it will work out.

What nobody is going to attack are Atlanta’s three other top picks — Jalon Walker, Xavier Watts, and Billy Bowman Jr.; in fact, that trio has received a ton of praise, with Matt Miller of ESPN including those three in his favorite 100 picks of the NFL Draft.

5. Jalon Walker, Edge, Atlanta Falcons (Pick 1-15)

My final overall ranking: No. 5

“Walker was a top-five player on my board, and Atlanta ended his draft-night slide midway through the first round. Not only did the Falcons get great value, but they also got a player who fits perfectly for Atlanta’s scheme and need. Walker’s NFL position has yet to be determined (he played both linebacker and edge at Georgia in 2024), but he brings desperately needed speed and high upside as a pass rusher in a 3-4 alignment,” Miller writes.

Jalon Walker was a consensus top 10 prospect, and the only reason anyone doesn’t love him is because he’s a bit of a tweener, not big enough to be a full-time edge defender but too talented to be wasted as an off-ball linebacker. There was a caveat to any team that drafted him, and that was that they needed to have a plan in place to maximize his skill set.

Thankfully, Jeff Ulbrich has exactly that. The Falcons defensive coordinator wants him to be an edge rusher first, and I assume they know the obvious that he’s a tad undersized. That means the Falcons will have to be careful where they use him on early, obvious run downs. Either way, Walker is so physically talented that his floor is high enough to live up to his first-round billing, but the ceiling is through the roof.

31. Xavier Watts, S, Atlanta Falcons (Pick 3-96)

My final overall ranking: No. 42

“Getting a 54-pick value is always good, but pairing Watts with Jessie Bates III is great. It gives Atlanta a ball-hawking safety duo. Watts’ 13 interceptions in his past two seasons at Notre Dame made him one of the country’s best defensive backs, and he now brings that ability to a Falcons defense that also nabbed edge rushers Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. in Round 1.”

Many believed that Watts would be a second-round pick, and at worst, an early third-rounder, so when he fell all the way to the Falcons, it was a no-brainer for Terry Fontenot. Watts has the potential to be a Day 1 starter, but even if he isn’t, most expect the Notre Dame product to eventually supplant Jordan Fuller.

It’s been well-documented that Watts models his game after Falcons star Jessie Bates III. What better place to learn from one of the game’s best safeties than in the same secondary? Even if Watts slips up from time to time, which is only natural for a rookie, Bates is the perfect player to clean up his messes. The Falcons got two potentially impactful defensive backs in Bates and Watts; that should excite fans. Steal might be an understatement.

72. Billy Bowman Jr., S, Atlanta Falcons (Pick 4-118)

My final overall ranking: No. 104

“Atlanta doubled down at edge rusher and safety, and Bowman’s versatility aligns with new teammate Xavier Watts’ skills. Bowman might see snaps at nickel safety first, but he has starter upside and ball skills.”

Coming into the draft, the Falcons’ most pressing needs were on the first and third levels, and they got four players to address them, two on the backend and two along the line of scrimmage. While Bowman is a safety on the depth chart, it’s probably more accurate to describe him as a defensive back because he’s expected to compete for the starting nickel role with Dee Alford and Clark Phillips. If Terry Fontenot comes away with four Day 1 starters from the first through fourth rounds, it’ll be by far his best work since taking over in Atlanta.

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Photographer: David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire