The Atlanta Falcons weren’t shy about their intentions heading into the 2025 NFL Draft.
At the NFL Combine, the team reportedly only brought in its defensive coaching staff. Then, team owner Arthur Blank made the direction even clearer at the NFL’s Annual League Meeting.
“The emphasis on the draft will certainly be on the defensive side of the ball,” Blank said.
The Falcons followed through, selecting five players in total — four of them on defense. The lone offensive pick was offensive tackle Jack Nelson.
Atlanta made a concerted effort to address two of its weakest areas: the defensive line and secondary. The team used its two first-round picks on edge rushers Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr., then selected defensive backs Xavier Watts and Billy Bowman Jr. in the third and fourth rounds.
“Raheem Morris says he was tired of getting grilled for the lack of a pass rush for the Falcons, and they were intentional about fixing that this offseason,” Will McFadden wrote. “That’s got to change, and the only way to change that is to change that.”
Still, questions remain defensively — particularly at cornerback — according to Pro Football Focus’s Mason Cameron.
“While the Falcons addressed some of their coverage needs during this year’s draft, the cornerback room continues to be a question mark,” Cameron wrote. “Dee Alford has struggled in the slot, which might pave the way for rookie Billy Bowman Jr. to carve out a role. And Mike Hughes’ inconsistency may lead to Clark Phillips III making a leap on the depth chart.”
Cameron floated one potential solution: former Chargers cornerback Asante Samuel Jr., one of the youngest free agents remaining on the market.
“Adding more competition never hurts, which could open the door for an option such as Asante Samuel Jr.,” Cameron wrote. “The 25-year-old struggled with injury in 2024 but posted an 82.0 PFF coverage grade at outside cornerback across 2022 and 2023.”
Samuel is coming off his rookie contract with the Chargers and was limited to just four games last season due to a shoulder injury. In his first three seasons, he totaled six interceptions and showed flashes of strong outside coverage ability.
If healthy, Samuel could provide a significant upgrade to a Falcons secondary that’s still lacking both depth and experience. His projected market value is a four-year, $45.8 million deal — an average of $11.5 million annually, per Spotrac.
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