The Atlanta Falcons had a pretty entertaining draft this year. It was not like last year with shocking quarterback selections, but a satisfying one for fans. The front office focused heavily on defense, contradictory to what they did last year. From the first selection in Jalon Walker to the hidden gem UDFA signing in Cobee Bryant, there is plenty to be excited about. Now, looking at this new slate of rookies, who has the most to prove in Falcons’ rookie minicamp?
Falcons Rookie Minicamp: Who Holds Most Pressure?
Edge needs help, and urgently
Naturally, any first round selection will have the most eyes on them. This year Atlanta has two of those: Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. What does not happen often is two first rounders that are drafted to serve the same purpose, that purpose being to rush the quarterback.
No team has struggled to get to the quarterback like Atlanta has. For several seasons in a row the Atlanta Falcons have ranked towards the bottom of the league in quarterback pressures. This year the front office went all-in on this major defensive hole. The Falcons got Jalon Walker at 15 and traded up to 26 to get James Pearce Jr.
With these two guys being All-SEC players with extremely high upside, they will no doubt have the most pressure to perform exceptionally and early. Jalon Walker will be tested to see if his size and dominance in college will translate well to the NFL early in minicamp. Everyone knows he can fly off the edge, but can he still bully past large NFL linemen?
James Pearce has more pressure then anyone else in this class. The Falcons gave up a lot to move up to get him at 26. Specifically, they gave up a first round selection for next season. If he does poorly this season, then the media will instantly look to him and that first round selection. Eyes will be on him majority of the time, and he will be what people watch to determine whether that trade up was worth such a high price.
Pearce and Walker are both being asked to fill the Falcons’ biggest need, and fast. No doubt these two will face the pressure going into rookie minicamp.
Safety Tandem: Billy Bowman and Xavier Watts
Billy Bowman and Xavier Watts won’t have much pressure heading into minicamp. Every rookie feels that heat going into rookie minicamp. However, these guys are proven and they have veterans to learn under. Jalon Walker and James Pearce don’t have that. Bowman and Watts already have experience and are All-American players. They get to sit and learn under Jessie Bates, AJ Terrell, and a host of other vetted players.
Expect both Watts and Bowman to get reps throughout the season. They’ll be great sub players to plug into dime sets. With the expectations for year one not being very high, don’t expect much pressure in rookie minicamp. These guys are not expected to perform to their level until next year or even the year after that. Eyes will be on them, pressure too… but fans aren’t expecting DROTY candidates. If they do, that’s more than great. If not, no fan will be disappointed by that.
Undrafted Gems: Cobee Bryant and Nick Nash
These two guys stand out among the rest of the UDFA signed up to this point. Cobee Bryant and Nick Nash were two of the best players at their respective positions in college football last season. The reason they went undrafted? We aren’t really sure. Bryant himself has spoken out on social media many times, posting the number 26, representing 26 corners being taken in the draft.
Not only are these guys highly talented, they have realistic chances to get meaningful snaps. Bryant could get some nickel snaps and Nash could find his way into the slot position a few times. However, they’ll need to perform well in rookie minicamp to get those snaps. It won’t seem like there is a lot of pressure on these guys, but there really is. These guys will be looking to prove their value and see the field in 2025, and minicamp is there first chance to do just that.
Main Image: Kirby Lee – USA Today Sports
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