Atlanta Falcons fans are happy at the same time for the first time in what seems like forever. There is a consensus that the team hit a grand slam with their five picks (and unbelievable undrafted free agent signings).
However, that doesn't mean analysts have similar feelings, because many don't. Among the biggest haters is ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr., who gave them an average grade.
Mel Kiper Jr. gives the Atlanta Falcons a 'C' for their 2025 Draft class
Kiper has been in the news for all the wrong reasons recently. His temper tantrums over Shedeur Sanders' fall have soured even more fans on him.
After the Draft, he assigned grades to all 32 teams, and sitting at the bottom was the Atlanta Falcons with a 'C' grade.
Kiper mentions how they "found value" with the pick of Jalon Walker, but trading up for James Pearce Jr. "was suspect."
He docked them for not addressing cornerback (even though they did with Billy Bowman Jr.) and defensive tackle.
However, what killed them in his mind was trading next year's first-rounder.
Listen, this is the issue I have with league analysts writing about all 32 teams immediately after the Draft. They don't have time to gather the necessary information on each team.
I saw two things wrong with Kiper's assessment: the Falcons did address cornerback, and his perception of the first-round trade is wrong.
As previously mentioned, Jeff Ulbrich is moving Bowman to nickel, the position they needed to address.
When it comes to the trade, I addressed it in a previous article, which you can read here. The short explanation is that they didn't lose a first-round pick; they used it a year early.
I am sure all the lower-graded teams feel they don't deserve their grade, but handing the Falcons a 'C' is wrong. They aggressively addressed their pass rush and secondary—how can you hate that?