The Atlanta Falcons' two first-round draft picks, Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr., made their debuts on Friday against the Detroit Lions, and there was an interesting storyline that you may have missed.
Pearce Jr. was a rumored target of Dan Campbell and the Lions, but the Falcons jumped ahead and took the talented pass rusher.
After the draft, rumors swirled that Detroit was considering trading up to land him, but ultimately stayed put and took defensive tackle Tyleik Williams
And, as fate would have it, they had to gameplan against Pearce Jr. the next time they took the field, and it was obvious they weren't going to let him dominate.
Lions made it their mission to stop Falcons rookie James Pearce Jr.
The Lions' coaching staff didn't want to have fans asking them why they didn't get aggressive and trade up for James Pearce Jr.
So, they honed in on No. 27 and made sure he was never one-on-one with their depth offensive linemen.
They started off by chipping him, sending him to the ground on a passing game. Then they slid the protection to his side, putting two guys on him from the moment the football moved.
It is quite funny when you think about it. This is the preseason, a time when teams want to evaluate their fringe players by seeing them go against the best without help.
The fact that the Lions didn't do their darnest to stop the higher draft pick, Jalon Walker, or the ascending Arnold Ebiketie further proves this was a storyline that dates back to the draft.
Their first-round pick did play on Friday. He was on the field for 16 snaps, but failed to tally a single stat.
The same can be said for JPJ, but he did flash at moments and was tasked with defeating more than one block.