NFL.com Lists Surprise Atlanta Falcons Pick among 10-Best Draft Fits

When it comes to pinpointing the perfect fit for any draft strategy, it would be fairly easy to simply match the player chosen with a major position of need.

Specifically for the especially defense-needy Atlanta Falcons, the draft introduced the edge rushing tandem of Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. to the mix, and it made a lot of sense.

However, it wasn't the round peg, round hole edge rushers that caught NFL.com analyst Bucky Brooks’s attention as one of his 10-Perfect-Fits from the NFL Draft. It was another Falcons draft pick. The fact that several of general manager Terry Fontenot's picks seem a logical choice to make this list speaks to the quality of the Falcons' draft.

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Brooks loves what he sees in former Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts. Watts was the “other” player that was part of the much-maligned James Pearce trade as multiple draft analysts willfully ignore Watts when evaluating the deal.

“After watching veteran Jessie Bates III flourish in the Falcons’ scheme, Raheem Morris handpicked Watts to play alongside the veteran star,” wrote Brooks on NFL.com. “The Notre Dame standout is an outstanding center fielder with 13 interceptions and 31 passes defensed as a two-year starter.

“As the Falcons look to pick off tipped and overthrown passes with an upgraded pass rush, Watts could immediately make an impact as a playmaking specialist in a ballhawking defensive backfield.”

In truth, Watts showed more than enough as a two year starter for the Fighting Irish to merit getting picked a little higher, but general manager Terry Fontenot and Co. aren’t complaining.

What drew the Falcons toward taking Watts in the first place was the advanced ballhawking skills he showed previously in South Bend.

Simply because safeties tend to hunt in pairs; it certainly doesn't take any kind of football sage to identify the upside of slotting Watts in next to the All-Pro Bates on the backend.

Under new defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, creating some more pressure and turnovers certainly would appear to be a better goal than the bend, and eventually break, scheme employed in 2024.

The Falcons signed Jordan Fuller in free agency, but with just $80,000 of guaranteed money, there’s no guarantee Fuller makes the roster, let alone locks down a starting spot.

Watts could indeed be on the fast track to securing a starting job in only his rookie year, and that would indeed make Brooks look pretty smart for putting him on his top-10 list.

Starting at a cerebral position like safety is a tall order for any rookie, but learning on the job will be a lot easier with Bates to lean on in the meeting rooms and in the heat of battle.