Brutal 2025 NFL re-draft drops Falcons fans into a multiverse of misery

The NFL Draft always tends to be a bit of a crapshoot, because a supposed sure thing can become a massive bust, or teams can find a diamond in the rough who's developing into a star. And that's what makes re-drafts so interesting, because it allows teams to swap out their draft misses for future stars.

However, they can come with a hard dose of reality when they poach current stars off the roster so they can land somewhere else, and that's exactly what happened to the Atlanta Falcons in Todd McShay's 2025 redraft, as both Pearce and Walker were selected in the top 10 this time around.

In McShay's re-do, there was plenty of chaos, and that started with Tyler Shough replacing Cam Ward as the top pick while Jaxson Dart was drafted by the other New York team. And with both young star pass-rushers off the board, the Dirty Birds were forced to draft Colston Loveland with the 15th pick.

Walker was selected with the third overall pick by the New York Giants, while Pearce landed with the NFC South archrival New Orleans Saints with the No. 9 overall pick. And given they have been two of the few bright spots for what has been a nightmare season in Atlanta, the alternative is far worse.

Falcons miss out on both Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. in Todd McShay's 2025 re-draft

It's no surprise that both Walker and Pearce made significant climbs from where they were originally drafted, but it's a bit weird to still see Abdul Carter drafted before them. But I digress, as Walker was selected just one pick later and McShay penciled him in to be Carter's replacement in New York.

The only rookie with more sacks than the Georgia product is Pearce, while his 5.5 sacks rank third on the team. As for Pearce, Walker was only drafted before him in this scenario because he's a superior run-stuffer, even if the ex-Tennessee star is quickly becoming a Defensive Rookie of the Year favorite.

With that said Pearce's 23-pick ascent was even less shocking. Fans initially didn't love the decision to trade up for the 22-year-old, but a seven-game sack streak has eased the pain of not having a 2026 first-round pick, but watching him shine in New Orleans would be even more nightmarish.

The Falcons landed two franchise cornerstones in this draft, both of whom have helped revitalize a dormant pass-rush in Atlanta, and this alternate dimension is a much-needed reminder of just how lucky the Falcons are in the real timeline, because this multiverse of madness is a total disaster.

And just off of losing Walker and Pearce alone, my eyes need to be bleached after reading McShay's pitch.