If you turn back the clock a few months, or even a few weeks, the perception surrounding the Atlanta Falcons' 2025 NFL Draft class has shifted drastically. First, it looked like a Terry Fontenot masterclass--and even gave him merit to save his job-- but now that he's been fired it looks rough.
Fontenot knew his job was on the line, so he got aggressive in his attempts to build up the defense. The Falcons drafted edge rushers Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. in the first round, Xavier Watts in Round 3, Billy Bowman Jr. in Round 4, and capped off this draft with seventh-rounder Jack Nelson.
With just five picks, it seemed like the Falcons were successful. Walker looked like a future superstar, Pearce and Watts were Defensive Rookie of the Year finalists, and Bowman was a solid starter. However, if you take off the rose-colored glasses, Fontenot's final draft is aging worse and worse.
The Atlanta Falcons' 2025 NFL Draft class went from success to failure
That was then. Now things are changing. Walker suffered a season-ending ACL tear in training camp last season, and his development will take a hit. And due to Pearce's offseason arrest, the reigning rookie sack leader is likely staring down a lengthy potential suspension, sidelining him for a while too.
So for the two pass-rushers Fontenot so aggressively targeted, Atlanta will likely be without them both Week 1--and that's not all. Bowman is still in the midst of rehabbing his season-ending Achilles tear, and the Falcons cut Jack Nelson when they activated Jawaan Taylor off the active/PUP list.
For the Dirty Birds, this apple is starting to turn sour. And then there's the elephant in the room of the Pearce trade with the Los Angeles Rams, which may have helped them find their new franchise quarterback in Ty Simpson. Giving up the 2026 first-round pick was another move that aged horribly.
Pearce and Walker are both talented when they're on the field, but who knows the next time we'll see them out there together. Week 1 of 2027? That's far from ideal when these two players are supposed to be the face of the pass rush. So yeah, it's easy to be disappointed in this sequence of events.
Other than Xavier Watts, none of the five players the Atlanta Falcons drafted in the 2025 NFL Draft are going to start Week 1--and Nelson isn't even on the roster anymore. So instead of this draft class looking like the success story Terry Fontenot envisioned, the failures are getting harder to ignore.
Thankfully the Falcons are headed in a different (and better) direction with Ian Cunningham.
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