Of course, it also helps to add players who come about that mindset, naturally.
Watts recorded 13 interceptions in his final two seasons at Notre Dame, including an FBS-high seven picks in 2023. Bowman finished just behind Watts with six interceptions in 2023, and he had 11 total during his four seasons at Oklahoma. With 24 picks between them in college, the Falcons are adding two players who know how to take the ball away.
“I just think it’s who I am,” Watts said after getting drafted. “I’m just a ball player at the end of the day. I just go out there and I make plays.”
The two rookies will have a fantastic role model to learn from in Jessie Bates III. The veteran safety was the only player in the NFL last season to have four interceptions and four fumble recoveries. His propensity for creating changes of possession have helped secure a couple of wins for Atlanta since he first arrived in 2023.
He’ll now have help in more ways than one. Not only will the Falcons have a greater abundance of hungry hands in the secondary but the increased firepower with their pass rush could result in more opportunities for interceptions if opposing quarterbacks are under duress more frequently.
Those chances could come early for the rookies, so they’ll need to be ready.
“It’s exciting for some of those young guys,” Bates said. “They’ll be making impact plays early. For those guys, I’m just preaching to them that, ‘Hey, y’all got to get going. There’s no easing into it, you’ve got to get going right now.’ Because we’re going to depend on them to make some big-time plays for us throughout the year.”
There is a nice blend of youth and experience on Atlanta’s defense. Players like A.J. Terrell and Kaden Elliss took big step forwards last season and return as the standard bearers for the unit alongside Bates and a few other notable veterans. How quickly Watts, Bowman and fellow rookies Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. settle into their roles will be key for their defensive designs in 2025.
“You can’t help but be excited about that production that’s coming to our team to be with our guys that are already productive,” Morris said.
For the first 12 weeks of the season, the Falcons ranked last in the NFL with only 12. From Weeks 13-18, however, Atlanta recorded 21 sacks, which ranked second behind only the Dallas Cowboys.
That turnaround helped illustrate the impact coaching and scheme can have on a defense during a season. The offseason provided the Falcons the opportunity to add to their personnel, and they’ve done so with players who clearly fit with the team’s biggest defensive needs, a list that includes more than just the pass rush.
Getting to the quarterback more frequently should aid Atlanta in its goal to return to the playoffs for the first time since the 2017 season, but turnovers are even more impactful.
Of the 13 teams who finished in the Top 10 in turnover margin last season, including four teams tied at No. 10 — only the Chicago Bears failed to reach the postseason.
“As far as every single time we’re on this grass, we’re ball hunting,” Ulbrich said. “Because ultimately, that dictates the game.”