When the Atlanta Falcons aggressively jumped back into the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft to select James Pearce Jr. with the No. 26 pick, fans were ecstatic... until they saw that Terry Fontenot gave up in order to do so.
Atlanta parted with a 2025 second-round pick, (No. 46 overall), a 2025 seventh-round pick (No. 242 overall) and their 2026 first-round pick to make a second Day 1 selection And all of this was done after the Dirty Birds had already taken another edge rusher in Georgia's Jalon Walker at pick No. 15.
“To give them a first-round pick, that’s ridiculous. That’s stupid,” Charles McDonald said live on Yahoo Sports’ draft show. “This is what the Falcons do.”
And now, sitting at 3-7 and staring down the possibility of handing the Rams a top-five pick especially now with both Michael Penix Jr. and Drake London both hurt, the move to trade a 2026 first-rounder for the 21-year-old looks even than even the biggest of critics feared.
Trading for James Pearce Jr. isn't the problem, what the Falcons gave up is the bigger issue
Now don’t get me wrong, The ex-Tennessee standout hasn’t been bad. In flashes, he’s looked exactly like the athletic, long, bendy rusher he was in Knoxville. His game log shows signs of real promise:
- Half a sack vs Minnesota
- A sack and forced fumble vs. Indianapolis
- A sack in the Berlin game vs. Carolina
- A fumble recovery against the Patriots
Those moments matter. They hint at what Pearce could become. But “could become” is the phrase that haunts this whole thing.
Pearce will most likely turn into a good starter. He might even turn into a Pro Bowler. But the fact that the Falcons traded away a potentially top-five pick for a player who isn’t close to being an immediate difference maker right now is brutal.
And for a franchise that has repeatedly struggled to build a roster through the draft, missing on premium capital is a franchise setback move.
You can gamble when you’re close. When you’re a piece or two away. When you’re on the brink. The Falcons weren’t. And giving up a future first-rounder as a non-contender is the sort of move smart organizations simply don’t make.
The trade was questioned immediately and it looks even worse today.
The Rams took advantage of a desperate front office. And unless the Falcons turn the second half of this season around fast, that desperation is about to gift Los Angeles one of the most valuable assets in the 2026 NFL Draft. And it could provide Sean McVay with his Matthew Stafford succession plan.
James Pearce Jr. will most likely end up being a good player. But the trade? That’s the part turning into an outright disaster, and it’s only getting harder for Atlanta to escape it as it could be the final straw for Fontenot.