The Atlanta Falcons may have just created a trade opening that sends the Pittsburgh Steelers’ way.
Falcons rookie EDGE rusher Jalon Walker, the No. 15 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, is believed to have torn his ACL during a training camp practice, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Steve Wyche. Walker is set for an MRI to confirm the injury after a practice that reportedly sparked an emotional reaction from his teammates.
Walker, who posted 5.5 sacks in 15 games as a rookie, was expected to be a key part of Atlanta’s pass rush. Instead, the Falcons now appear to be facing a major hole on the edge before the regular season even begins.
That kind of setback could push Atlanta to explore the trade market, and Pittsburgh stands out as a possible partner. The Steelers have one of the deepest EDGE groups in the league, while the Falcons suddenly look thin at the position.
Atlanta did add help in free agency with Azeez Ojulari and Samson Ebukam, but neither gives the group a clear answer if Walker is out long-term. James Pearce Jr., another first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, may also still be dealing with possible discipline related to three felony charges of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, fleeing and eluding police, and resisting an officer with violence to his or her person, plus a misdemeanor for felony aggravated stalking earlier in the offseason.
That leaves the Falcons with a real need if they want to stay competitive in a division that remains wide open.
If they do call the Steelers, Alex Highsmith looks like the cleanest trade candidate. Nick Herbig is not available after signing a four-year, $100 million extension in June, and moving T.J.
Watt would be a massive ask given the three-year, $123 extension he signed last summer. Highsmith, on the other hand, is coming off a season in which he led Pittsburgh with 9.5 sacks and is now entering the penultimate year of a four-year, $68 million deal that looks cheap relative to his production.
Pittsburgh also faces a roster-building reality: paying three EDGE rushers big money at the same time is hardly practical.
That’s why Highsmith has emerged as the name to watch. A second-round pick could be the kind of return Pittsburgh sets as the bar, and if Atlanta is willing to meet that price, the fit is obvious enough for a deal to get traction.
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