NFL analyst labels Falcons ‘winners’ for elite UDFA class
The Atlanta Falcons entered the 2025 NFL draft without a ton of draft capital, but they still made out nicely with their five-player class and 11 undrafted free agent signings. Atlanta added two edge rushers in Round 1 and two supremely talented defensive backs on Days 2 and 3.
The Falcons landed a projected top-10 talent in Georgia’s Jalon Walker, while third-round pick Xavier Watts was considered one of the draft’s biggest steals. Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot wanted to find impact players, and on paper, it appears the team found a few.
Atlanta also signed 11 undrafted players, including a few projected mid-round selections. Kansas cornerback Cobee Bryant was one of the top priority UDFA targets around the league.
Pro Football Network analyst Sterling Xie ranked the Falcons as his biggest winners of the UDFA signing period:
All four players Atlanta signed were ranked within PFSN’s top 200 on the pre-draft big board, highlighting how the Falcons effectively added fifth- and sixth-round level talents without having those picks. Cornerback looks like the team’s biggest need after Atlanta didn’t use any draft picks on the position. Cobee Bryant was a ball hawk with eight interceptions and 12 passes defended for the Jayhawks over the past two seasons. In Atlanta’s off-coverage zone scheme, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him challenge Mike Hughes and Mike Ford Jr. for playing time opposite A.J. Terrell. — Sterling Xie, PFN
The Falcons secondary struggled last season despite signing Pro Bowl safety Justin Simmons. This time, the team added veteran safety Jordan Fuller in free agency before drafting Watts and fourth-round pick Billy Bowman. Watts, Bowman and Bryant could all play key depth roles this season.
Other notable undrafted free agents signed by Atlanta include Oregon State offensive lineman Joshua Gray, Miami defensive lineman Simeon Barrow and wide receiver Nick Nash, each of whom were ranked among PFN’s top 15 undrafted players.
Make sure to check out our Falcons post-draft starting lineup projections on offense and defense.