In their trade with the Los Angeles Rams to select Pearce, the Falcons also acquired a third-round pick (No. 101). They used that third-round pick as part of a package to move up yet again in the draft, this time just a few spots to take Watts at No. 96. Their conviction during draft weekend helped transform their defense, Pearce on the front end and Watts on the back end.
Watts intercepted five passes as a rookie, tied for the second most in the NFL. His impact in the secondary was apparent from the very first regular season game, and Watts ended the year on a high note with a pair of interceptions against Matthew Stafford and the Rams in Week 17. He finished third on the team in both tackles (92) and pass breakups (11) and secured a fumble recovery to give him six total turnovers forced. According to Next Gen Stats, Watts finished second among all qualified safeties in “Hawk Rate,” which is the percentage of targets where the nearest defender made a play on the football with either a pass defense or interception. He made a play on 28.2% of the passes thrown into his coverage.
Consistency and a nose for the football are already proving to be hallmarks of Watts’ game; with him alongside an All-Pro player in Jessie Bates, the Falcons are situated nicely at the safety position.
“Both have amazing instinct. Both have ball skill. Both have anticipatory stuff that’s really unique,” Ulbrich said of Bates and Watts. “It was very early on we said, ‘Screw this, we’re going to go left and right,’ and just let them master their side. Give them both ops to play to the field. Give them both ops to play to the boundary. And they’ve become, in my opinion, one of the best safety tandems in this league.”
Ulbrich is remaining as the team’s defensive coordinator under new head coach Kevin Stefanski, so there will be continuity for these two standout rookies to build upon.