Since being hired as general manager of the Atlanta Falcons in January 2021, Terry Fontenot’s focus has skewed heavily toward the offensive side of the football. He selected offensive players in the first round of each of his first four drafts, coming away with Kyle Pitts, Drake London, Bijan Robinson, and Michael Penix Jr.
All four players were selected in the top 10 of their respective drafts, but for the first time since the 44-year-old was hired, the Dirty Birds were not selecting inside the top 10 in 2025. After the defense was one of the worst in football in 2024, Fontenot and Raheem Morris looked to fortify the unit, and not with a Micah Parsons trade.
In four selections during the 2025 NFL Draft, Atlanta selected four defensive players—all of whom are expected to play a significant role from the get go. And that all started with the selection of their first first-round defender since 2020 and first first-round edge rusher since 2017.
Falcons defensive-heavy draft is exactly what the team needed
The Falcons drafted Georgia’s Jalon Walker with the No. 15 pick, but their efforts to improve the defensive line didn’t end there. Fontenot made an aggressive swing, trading the team’s 2026 first-rounder and the No. 46 pick to the Rams to move back into the first round at No. 26 overall.
With that pick, they selected James Pearce Jr, who was receiving top-five buzz before the college football season. Between Walker and Pearce Jr., the pair combined for 14 sacks and 23.5 tackles for loss in 2024, For a team that finished second-to-last in sacks last year, that production should provide an immediate boost.
Dealing a future first-rounder is an aggressive move—especially for a team who is not a playoff lock—but it stays true to Fontenot’s philosophy: if you’re gonna swing, swing for the fences.
Fonenot also added safety Xaver Watts in the third round and defensive back Billy Bowman Jr in the fourth. Both impressed throughout the summer to the point they were already named Week 1 starters against the Bucs—and Bowman did so after making the transition to nickel corner.
The Falcons didn’t address the offense until the seventh round, where they took Wisconsin offensive tackle Jack Nelson.
If these moves pay off, Fontenot could silence critics who have questioned his vision. But he enters the season on the hot seat, and is banking on both these moves and the success of Michael Penix Jr to deliver, and buy him another season in the ATL.