Making his NFL debut against the Buccaneers, Xavier Watts, the former Notre Dame standout, showcased exactly why Atlanta invested in his hybrid skill set in the third-round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
While the stat line or final score may not fully capture the impact he made, Watts’ alignment versatility, instincts, and relentless football IQ jumped off the screen. And he almost picked off Baker Mayfield twice.
Week 1 was just a small sample size, but it provided a glimpse into why he was one of college football’s most decorated defenders and why the Dirty Birds see him as a key piece in Jeff Ulbrich's new defensive vision.
Xavier Watts looks like a piece for the future in Atlanta
Watts isn’t the same type of prospect Kyle Hamilton was coming out of South Bend -- Hamilton was built in the mold of a rare size-speed athlete -- but Watts carved out his own elite collegiate résumé. He was the only two-time consensus All-American in college football over the last two years not named Travis Hunter, and he did it by playing a brand of safety that marries intelligence with toughness.
Against Tampa Bay, that background translated quickly, as he lined up at deep safety, slid into the box, and even walked out wide to handle coverage responsibilities depending on the matchup. That versatility is exactly what Raheem Morris envisioned when he pushed to add Watts to his defense.
The Falcons want to be able to disguise looks, rotate safeties, and shift into different coverage shells without tipping their hand to opposing quarterbacks, and Watts’ ability to process plays at a high level makes those concepts work.
On several occasions against the Bucs, Watts diagnosed route concepts before they fully developed, getting himself into position to cut off throwing lanes and forcing Mayfield to check down or reset his feet. Those kinds of subtle plays won’t always show up in the box score, but they change the rhythm of an offense, and also why it's so important to watch tape.
What stood out most in Week 1 was how quickly Watts looked comfortable communicating pre-snap. Rookies in general can often become overwhelmed by the speed and complexity of NFL offenses, but Watts looked like he had been in the Falcons’ system for years.
He directed traffic, adjusted coverages, and ensured that everyone was aligned. It's level of leadership is rare for a first-year player, but it underscores why he was such a decorated college defender and why Atlanta felt confident in him stepping in right away.
Watts’ hybrid game also showed up in his tackling and run support. He filled downhill with urgency, striking ball carriers in space and wrapping up with sound fundamentals. In a division where teams like Tampa Bay and New Orleans still lean on a physical ground game to control tempo, having a safety who can play the run as well as he plays the pass is invaluable.
For the Falcons, it means more freedom to deploy Jessie Bates in a variety of ways, knowing Watts can hold his own whether closer to the line of scrimmage or as the last line of defense.
The Falcons don’t need Watts to replicate what Kyle Hamilton brought to the league as prospects hat used to wear the gold-crested helmet. They need him to be himself -- a cerebral, versatile, all-around safety who can erase mistakes, create flexibility for the defense, and elevate the players around him.
If his debut is any indication, Xavier Watts won’t just fit into the Falcons’ defense -- he’ll help define it.