A few months ago, Terry Fontenot’s 2025 draft haul looked like the kind of class that could buy a general manager real breathing room. It was bold, it was defensive-heavy, and for a stretch it even had people talking like the Falcons had found a way to turn the whole thing around.
That picture looks a lot different now.
Fontenot went after the defense hard with just five picks, landing edge rushers Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. in the first round, Xavier Watts in Round 3, Billy Bowman Jr. in Round 4, and finishing with seventh-rounder Jack Nelson. At the time, it was easy to see the appeal. Walker flashed like a future superstar, Pearce and Watts were Defensive Rookie of the Year finalists, and Bowman looked like a steady starter.
But the shine has worn off fast.
Walker suffered a season-ending ACL tear in training camp last season, which knocks his development off track. Pearce’s offseason arrest has him facing what could be a lengthy suspension, and that leaves the Falcons likely without either of the two pass rushers Fontenot built the class around when Week 1 arrives. Bowman is still working back from his season-ending Achilles tear, and Nelson was cut when Atlanta activated Jawaan Taylor off the active/PUP list.
That’s a brutal turn for a class that once looked like a win.
The Pearce trade with the Los Angeles Rams only makes the whole thing look worse in hindsight. The Rams may have used that move to land their new franchise quarterback in Ty Simpson, and Atlanta also gave up its 2026 first-round pick in the deal. That’s the kind of asset loss that can sting for a long time when the return isn’t holding up.
Pearce and Walker still have talent. Nobody’s questioning that.
The problem is the timing, the availability, and the fact that the Falcons may be waiting a long time before they ever see those two on the field together again. Maybe not until Week 1 of 2027.
That’s a rough outcome for players who were supposed to define the pass rush.
The one clear bright spot in the group is Xavier Watts.
And Atlanta, at least, appears to be moving in a different direction now with Ian Cunningham.
In Other News...
Falcons Receiver Battle Just Claimed An Early Roster Casualty
The Falcons receiver room got a little thinner this week as the team continued churning the bottom of the roster. Undrafted rookie Le'Meke Brockington had been in the mix for one of the few available spots at wide receiver, but Atlantas latest round of transactions pushed him off the roster as the team kept sorting through its depth ahead of camp.
Brockington was waived with an injury designation, part of a broader series of moves that also included the signing of free-agent tight end Nick Muse and other additions around the roster. For a young receiver trying to carve out a place in a crowded room, timing matters, and this was the kind of early setback that can make the path back a lot steeper. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons RB Battle Just Got Crowded For One Crucial Roster Spot
The Falcons have quietly made their running back competition a little more interesting, and not just for camp observers trying to sort out the back end of the depth chart. Behind Bijan Robinson and Brian Robinson Jr., the fight for the RB3 job already had Nate Carter, Tyler Goodson and Cash Jones in the mix, giving Atlanta plenty to sort through before the preseason games start to matter.
Trey Sermon has now been added to that pile, bringing another veteran option into a battle that looks destined to be decided on performance rather than reputation. For a roster spot this tight, every carry and every special-teams rep can carry extra weight, and the Falcons figure to let the preseason do most of the talking before they make the call. [Read more 🡒]