The Atlanta Falcons’ safety tandem is no longer a hidden strength. Jessie Bates III and Xavier Watts have moved well past that. Around the league, they’re starting to look like the kind of pairing other defenses try to build around - and the latest NFL survey only sharpened that picture.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler polled more than 70 coaches, executives and scouts for the 10 best safeties in the NFL, and Atlanta showed up in a big way. Bates landed fifth, while Watts was listed as an honorable mention. That’s still a strong showing for a duo that already did plenty of damage together last season, combining for 10 interceptions and helping drive a pass defense that was the best in the NFL through seven weeks.
Bates, in particular, drew praise for the way his game has held up. One NFL coordinator said, "Instincts and ball skills have allowed him to play at a high level for a long time," an NFL coordinator said of Bates.
"That's why his game is aging well. He's just got a knack for being around the ball."
Watts may not have cracked the main list yet, but the buzz around him is clearly building. Another coordinator said, "He has a chance to be one of the best safeties in the league," another coordinator said of Watts. "[He] has very similar qualities to his running mate [Bates]."
That comparison makes sense. Both safeties win with intelligence, range and a nose for the football.
They cover ground fast, read plays early and give Atlanta a pair of back-end defenders who can change the shape of a game. And while the cornerback play outside of A.J.
Terrell was uneven, the safety play stood out as one of the defense’s defining traits in 2025.
Atlanta was one of only three teams - along with the Detroit Lions and Houston Texans - to have both safeties recognized in Fowler’s survey. That matters, because it speaks to how complete the pairing has become.
Bates, now 29, remains one of the Falcons’ best free agent additions. Watts, a Defensive Rookie of the Year finalist, looks like one of the more impactful draft picks the team has made in recent memory, especially as a third-round steal.
The bigger question now sits in front of the Falcons’ front office. Bates is heading into a contract year, and that puts Atlanta in a position where it has to weigh the cost of keeping one of the league’s most productive safety duos intact. With league-wide attention finally catching up, that’s not a decision to take lightly.
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