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PFN gives Falcons underwhelming grades for two first-round picks
The Atlanta Falcons weren’t going to settle for just one front-seven defender on Day 1 of the 2025 NFL draft. The team came away with two potential starters in Jalon Walker and James Pearce.
After taking Walker with the 15th overall pick, the Falcons traded their second-round pick, a future first-round pick and a seventh-rounder to the Los Angeles Rams for pick No. 26 and a third-round pick (No. 101).
These moves gave fans hope that the pass rush will finally come to life. However, not everyone is sold on how Atlanta handled Day 1 of the draft. As draft grades start to trickle in, there have been both positive and negative reviews from NFL analysts.
Pro Football Network released draft grades for the first round. While PFN didn’t hate either pick, the grades were pretty lukewarm. First, the Falcons received a “B-minus” for drafting Walker with the 15th overall pick.
The Falcons no doubt hope that Walker will infuse their defensive front with desperately needed pass-rush competence. If pass-rush help was their target here, Mike Green would’ve been a better pick in theory, but his character evaluation may have ruled him out for Atlanta. There’s no disputing Walker’s mentality or dynamism in passing situations — the only question is how high his ceiling truly is as an outlier. — Ian Cummings, PFN
Walker was always an interesting prospect because teams view him in different ways. His versatility has been perceived as a positive but not everyone agrees on his role.
As for Pearce, Cummings praised the Falcons for their aggressiveness but felt it was too risky to give up a future first-round pick. The team was given a “C” grade by PFN.
As a pure pass-rusher, Pearce was one of the most prolific producers in college football over the past two seasons. Next to Abdul Carter, Pearce’s first-step explosiveness is the most dynamic in the class. Combined with that burst, he has elite agility and twitch, and he can channel speed-to-power with his explosiveness and length. Outside of the pass-rush phase, however – and even within it – there are concerns. Pearce doesn’t have an elite bend component, his proportional length is closer to average than elite, and he’s lighter than preferred. — Ian Cummings, PFN
The Falcons definitely improved on defense and as general manager Terry Fontenot stated at his pre-draft press conference, the team needed to come away with players who could make an impact.
We’ll see how much the defense looks with some young firepower next season.
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