The Atlanta Falcons drafted aggressively back in April to acquire some much-needed reinforcements for their defense. The Falcons drafted edge rusher Jalon Walker with the 15th overall pick before trading significant draft capital to move back up into the first round and take James Pearce Jr.
With their pass rush addressed, Atlanta then turned to its secondary, drafting Notre Dame prospect Xavier Watts. The Falcons went on to add two more players in the draft, defensive back Billy Bowman Jr. and offensive tackle Jack Nelson.
However, even with two playmakers along the front seven added inside the top 30, another player stands out as the Dirty Birds’ top rookie to watch in minicamp, according to one analyst.
Atlanta Falcons’ Top Rookie To Watch in Minicamp
In a recent article for PFSN, Brandon Austin identified the top rookie to watch on every NFL team in minicamp. With the Falcons adding several talented new players to their roster, there are cases for multiple players to be selected.
However, it was Watts who Austin pointed to as the player to keep an eye on, as a potential replacement for the now-departed Justin Simmons.
“A former wide receiver at Notre Dame, Watts brings rare ball skills and an advanced understanding of route concepts and quarterback tendencies. He racked up 13 interceptions over his final two college seasons and earned a reputation for his ability to bait throws and make explosive breaks on the ball,” Austin said.
Watts closed out his college career with 13 interceptions over his final two seasons. The Falcons were a bottom-half team in interception percentage last year, suggesting that Watts could be an immediate difference-maker.
“Though he’ll need to improve as a tackler and in run support, Watts’ range and versatility give Atlanta something they desperately lacked last year: turnover potential on the back end. He’s a strong candidate to earn early snaps, and his development will be worth watching closely as the Falcons aim to rebound defensively in 2025.”
Why Is Xavier Watts the Falcons’ Rookie To Monitor?
While the Falcons’ two shiny new defensive ends are also incredibly intriguing, both are almost guaranteed a significant workload in their first year. The Falcons’ defense pressured opposing quarterbacks at the NFL’s eighth-lowest rate in 2024, affecting passers on just one of every five drop-backs.
Those pass-rush struggles heavily contributed to the Falcons finishing 29th in the NFL in PFSN’s Defense+ metric, something they’ll need to fix in 2025.
Walker and Pearce’s first-round draft capital, coupled with the team’s obvious need for pass-rushing help, suggests that both players will be Day 1 starters in Atlanta. Watts, meanwhile, was taken in the third round and has veteran free-agent signing Jordan Fuller to contend with for snaps.
Fuller missed six games due to injury in 2024 and was a healthy scratch for two more, suggesting that Watts should have an opportunity to win the starting job in camp. Fuller does, though, have history with head coach Raheem Morris, who was a defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams during Fuller’s time there.
The Falcons did, though, trade up in the third round to select Watts, which is always a good sign. And Atlanta’s admiration for Watts is fully deserved, as he was one of only three players to be named a consensus All-American in both 2023 and 2024.