The Falcons’ Most Important Rookie Might Not Be Who You Think

FLOWERY BRANCH – Xavier Watts wasn’t supposed to matter this much, this quickly, for the Atlanta Falcons. Instead, the Falcons’ third-round rookie has become one of the more productive safeties in the NFL, and a potential foundational piece of Atlanta’s defense.

When discussed alongside the likes of first-round edge rushers James Pearce Jr. and Jalon Walker, Watts feels like a bit of an undersung hero for the Falcons in 2025. The rookie safety fell to the third round in last spring’s draft, pick No. 96 to be exact, and right into the Falcons’ lap.

Atlanta needed impact defenders. Watts became one immediately.

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The rookie is third on the Falcons in tackles and passes defended, while he leads them in interceptions. He is one of just seven players (and only three safeties) across the league to have accounted for at least 70 tackles, six passes defended, and three interceptions.

After quickly taking over as the starting safety this summer, Watts proceeded to lead all rookies in both interceptions (three) and tackles (79). He has four games with nine tackles or more and three where he finished with six tackles and at least one pass defended.

His impact was instantaneous. During his first month in the NFL, Watts totaled 23 tackles, two interceptions, and four pass breakups. The hot start to his career led to Watts being named the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month in September, yet he continued to mature and make an impact, whether he received the proper fanfare or not.

Watts has routinely flashed the elite instincts that the Falcons felt throughout the draft process and then again during camp when he won the starting job.

“The steady growth, it's not always demonstrated in production and picks here, PBUs, or whatever the case may be. But he has just steadily improved the entire season,” Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich said ahead of the Falcons’ trip to Tampa Bay in Week 15. “It’s just been fun to watch him progress. Like you saw it early, just these glimpses. And the more he plays, the better he gets.”

Ulbrich credits the guidance of a player like Jessie Bates III, who plays alongside Watts in the secondary. The veteran has taken the rookie under his wing, and the results have been emphatic this season.

“I think he's one of the best in the league,” Bates said about his rookie counterpart ahead of their Week 14 matchup with the Seahawks. “If you turn on the tape and watch X [Xavier] play, you'll understand why he's one of the top safeties in this league. And even if it's not this year, I can see X being a Pro Bowl player moving forward.”

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Despite his youth, the rookie safety has stepped in and taken on a leadership role with this defense. According to Bates, it is just who Watts is as a player and teammate, going back to his time at Notre Dame.

“His IQ is just at a whole other level,” Bates said. “I think that helps him, not just himself, but everyone around him plays well.”

Watts has already delivered on some of his potential, but Ulbrich sees a player who could just be scratching the surface of his outstanding potential. The Falcons’ defensive coordinator believes his safety duo has rapidly become “one of the best” in the NFL, and that has everything to do with the strides of the rookie, Xavier Watts.

For a defense searching for long-term pillars, Watts is showing that he has the potential to become one, if he is not one already. If his trajectory holds, the Falcons may have found far more than a third-round steal. They may have identified the backbone of their secondary for years to come.