Updated Feb. 4, 2026, 8:43 p.m. ET

The Falcons fired general manager Terry Fontenot after five playoff-less seasons in Atlanta, hiring former Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham as a replacement. While Fontenot failed to take the team to the next level, his 2025 NFL draft class was about as good as the team could have hoped for.

The Falcons landed arguably the top two edge rushers in the class — Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. — in Round 1, along with two starting defensive backs — Xavier Watts and Billy Bowman Jr. — in the third and fourth rounds.

Pearce led all rookies with 10.5 sacks, while Watts led the class with five interceptions. Both players are finalists for the NFC Defensive Rookie of the Year award. So, how does Atlanta’s draft class stack up against the rest of the NFL after one year?

ESPN’s staff redrafted the first two rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft and three Falcons rookies were selected in the first round. Pearce went ahead of Walker in ESPN’s redraft, falling to Atlanta at pick No. 15. This was the same pick that the team originally used on Walker.

Falcons pick James Pearce 15th overall in ESPN’s redraft

The biggest priority for the Falcons last offseason was boosting an anemic pass rush. They traded back into the first round to snag Pearce after taking Walker, and he responded with 10.5 sacks, the most from a rookie since Micah Parsons in 2021. With Pearce still on the board here, drafting him (and not giving up a future first-round pick to do so) is a no-brainer. — Marc Raimondi, ESPN

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ESPN’s redraft did not include prior trades, so the Los Angeles Rams kept pick No. 26 in this hypothetical scenario. The next Falcons rookie to be selected was Walker. The former Georgia standout fell to the Baltimore Ravens at pick No. 27.

Ravens pick Jalon Walker 27th overall in ESPN’s redraft

The Ravens desperately lacked a pass rush this season, recording their fewest sacks (30) in 15 seasons. Walker proved to be one of the best edge rushers in this class with his speed and explosiveness. His 5.5 sacks were the second most by a rookie this season. — Jamison Hensley, ESPN

Last but not least, the Philadelphia Eagles snagged Watts with the final pick of the first round. This shows just how well the Falcons did last year since Watts was originally selected with the 96th overall pick. Atlanta traded up five spots to get Watts in the third round and it paid off in a big way.

Eagles pick Xavier Watts 32nd overall in ESPN’s redraft

Jihaad Campbell had a quality rookie season, but the Eagles could pivot here for a playmaker at a position of need. Watts had five interceptions — tied for second most in the NFL — while posting 11 passes defensed and 96 tackles. It’s hard to pass up that type of production. — Tim McManus, ESPN

Unfortunately for Atlanta, the team has no first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Falcons general manager Ian Cunningham will have to wait until Round 2 (pick No. 48) to make the first pick of his tenure. Currently, the team has five total picks in this year’s draft.