Falcons Get Lots of Love From ESPN All-Rookie Team

FLOWERY BRANCH – The Atlanta Falcons have several defensive standouts who have taken off during their rookie seasons in the NFL, and that is likely to be reflected with postseason recognitions. All four of the team’s defensive rookies made impacts for the team this season before rookie nickel cornerback Billy Bowman Jr. tore his Achilles tendon ahead of Week 12.

ESPN’s Ben Solak put together his All-Rookie team for 2025, and the other three Falcon defenders had their names included.

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Jalon Walker, the team’s No. 15 pick, was listed as the second edge rusher alongside New York Giants rookie Abdul Carter.

“Walker was a tweener coming out of Georgia but has spent 90% of his snaps on the edge -- and to great effect. His football IQ leaps off the film, as he regularly sees blocks developing fast enough to slip, shed and create havoc in the defensive backfield. Pound for pound, the 6-foot-2, 245-pound Walker is tough to uproot and has more power as a pass rusher than expected. His ability to drop into coverage is also integral to defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich's pressure packages. Walker is a high-impact player for his dirty work in the margins.”

It was curious that Solak included Walker above James Pearce Jr., who he had on the second team behind Donovan Ezeiruaku from the Dallas Cowboys. He explained that Ezeiruaku has become a “key part” of the Cowboys’ rotation, mainly in his run defense.

Pearce, who leads all rookies in sacks (8.5) by a wide margin – leading Walker by 3.0 sacks and Nic Scoutron by 4.0, is slotted in as the fourth edge player on his board. This was Solak’s explanation for the second Falcons’ edge rusher.

“Pearce is the sack artist he was billed to be in the lead-up to the 2025 draft, leading all rookies with 8.5 sacks. His blistering 2.66-second time to pressure is ninth among all edges and third among all rookie edges, and he creates immediate opportunities for sacks with that wicked first step. Pearce is almost purely a pass-rush-down player at this point and struggles to hold the point of attack in the running game, so an offseason in the weight room is needed for him to become an every-down performer.”

The curious decision from Solak was his omission of standout safety Xavier Watts, opting to include him on the second team. In place of the Falcons defender, the ESPN writer included New Orleans Saints safety Jonas Sanker – although Watts outpaces him in every statistical category.

For Watts, Solak had this to say:

“Second team: Xavier Watts, Atlanta Falcons; and Malaki Starks, Baltimore Ravens. There were three great safety seasons from rookies, and only two first-team spots. Watts was easier to slot into the second team before his two-interception performance on "Monday Night Football" -- he now leads all rookies with five interceptions. Watts has tremendous feel for route combinations and spacing, which allows him to anticipate route breaks with unreal quickness. Doubly impressive is Watts' ability to play on the roof and in the box. He also has a sky-high ceiling.”

All told, the Falcons have to feel good about where they stand with three defensive rookies getting their names included on this list. On top of that, it is not unheard of to think that Bowman would also be included here had he not been injured earlier this season.

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The actual All-Rookie team will be announced at some point in the coming weeks, and this list could indicate that several players are in the mix for recognition.