Rookie Jalon Walker received his highest grade of the season in Sunday’s loss to the Colts.

Had the Atlanta Falcons played better earlier in the season, fans would probably be more forgiving of the team’s back-to-back losses to the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts. After losing to the Patriots by one point on the road, the Falcons were defeated by the Colts in overtime on Sunday to fall to 3-6 for the year.

The Falcons defense came up with seven total sacks in Week 10, but they couldn’t slow down the Colts ground game. Nonetheless, Atlanta has to be happy with how its rookies have performed as of late. First-round picks Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. combined to record four total sacks and three forced fumbles over the last two weeks.

Walker had arguably the best game of his career on Sunday.. While the rest of the defense struggled against running back Jonathan Taylor, Walker’s versatility was on full display versus the Colts.

Pro Football Focus graded all 32 first-round picks after Week 10, and the former Georgia standout received his highest grade of the season.

Jalon Walker’s Week 10 PFF grade: 87.4

Walker earned the highest PFF overall grade of his young career after making multiple splash plays against the Colts. He tallied three pressures, including a strip sack that Daniel Jones was lucky enough to recover. He was also one of the few Falcons who played well in run defense. Walker led the team with an 81.4 PFF run-defense grade. If the latter is sustained in future weeks, then any doubts about his ability to play as a full-time edge defender will be quelled. — Dalton Wasserman, PFF

Pearce didn’t have as much success against the run, but he still had four pressures and a strip sack of Colts quarterback Daniel Jones. PFF praised Pearce’s ability to generate pressure but took points off for his run defense in Week 10.

James Pearce Jr.’s Week 10 grade: 56.3

Pearce racked up four pressures, including a strip sack that resulted in a turnover, in the Falcons’ loss to the Colts. It was the fifth time this season that he had tallied multiple pressures in a game. He also recorded the first pass breakup of his career in coverage. Pearce’s PFF overall grade fell due to a couple of negative grades in run defense. — Dalton Wasserman, PFF

The Falcons also received contributions from third-round pick Xavier Watts and fourth-round pick Billy Bowman Jr. Watts led the team with 11 combined tackles, earning a PFF grade of 67.5. Bowman, who returned after missing the last month due to a hamstring injury, recorded a 34.3 defensive rating in Week 10.

PFF credited Bowman with three missed tackles, which hurt his grade on Sunday. Overall, the Falcons’ draft class appears to be their most promising in recent memory. If the team was winning, perhaps the rookies would be getting more credit around the NFL.

The Falcons will return to Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Week 11 to face the 5-5 Carolina Panthers.