Feb. 6, 2026, 6:04 a.m. ET
The Atlanta Falcons‘ 2025 NFL draft class was more prolific than any in recent memory. While it wasn’t enough to save former general manager Terry Fontenot’s job, the team drafted four starters on defense, including two AP Defensive Rookie of the Year finalists in James Pearce Jr. and Xavier Watts.
Pearce and Watts lost out to Cleveland Browns rookie Carson Schwesinger, but both players have bright futures in Jeff Ulbrich’s defense. Somehow, Atlanta’s other first-round pick, Jalon Walker, has become the forgotten man from the 2025 draft class.
Walker finished second in the league among rookies with 5.5 sacks last season, and he improved drastically as a run defender as the year went on. He also established himself as a leader on the field despite his age.
The former Georgia Bulldogs standout has a chance to be special, and you can count Pro Football Focus among those buying in. PFF named one breakout candidate for all 32 teams and listed Walker for the Falcons.
Falcons breakout candidate: EDGE Jalon Walker
“Walker battled through some minor injuries to produce a 71.6 PFF overall grade as a rookie,” wrote PFF’s Dalton Wasserman. “He racked up 29 pressures, including six sacks. Perhaps the more surprising part is that his 81.3 PFF run-defense grade ranked sixth among qualified edge defenders. Walker was supposed to go through a longer transition period in the run game as he made the move from linebacker to edge defender. If he maintains that production while continuing to improve as a pass rusher, he could soon become a bona fide star.”
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Pearce’s impact as an edge rusher can’t be understated, but Walker’s all-around game can be just as valuable going forward. Both players faced immense pressure as first-round picks, yet they somehow lived up to the hype.
The Falcons will need to keep adding talent around their young edge duo in order to get back to the playoffs. General manager Ian Cunningham will have to get creative without a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
The team could still create more salary cap space for free agency through restructures, which would help bring back key players, like linebacker Kaden Elliss and defensive tackle David Onyemata.
It should be an interesting offseason in Atlanta.
