Falcons Projected to Land 'High-Potential' Athlete to Bolster Pass Rush

With each new NFL mock draft, it becomes more apparent that the Atlanta Falcons could find themselves in the middle of two edge rusher tiers at No. 15 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft.

As a result, the Falcons may need to choose between rolling the dice on a high-risk but high-reward edge rusher or targeting another need.

In his new NFL mock draft on March 24, Pro Football Focus' Josh Liskiewitz predicted the Falcons to target the former with Texas A&M's Shemar Stewart.

"Stewart is a scheme-versatile, high-potential athlete who is still working on winning his reps with technique and discipline as much as athletic ability," Liskiewitz wrote. "His lack of production throughout his college career speaks to the lack of refinement in his game, but he is built like a future NFL player and should be a Day 2 pick because of it."

It seems a bit odd that Liskiewitz hyped Stewart as a high-end Day 2 prospect and then had him landing with the Falcons at No. 15 overall. But that could have been because other edge rushers such as Georgia's Jalon Walker and Mykel Williams were off the board at No. 15.

If that's the case at the end of April, the Falcons may have to choose between Stewart, who comes with high upside but needs more developing, or another defensive prospect. Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron, Georgia safety Malaki Starks and South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori were all still available at No. 15 overall in Liskiewitz's mock draft.

Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell appears to also be potentially rising on Atlanta's draft board.

Edge rushers Mike Green and James Pearce Jr. are also options for the Falcons. Marshall's Green went at No. 16 to the Arizona Cardinals in Liskiewitz's mock draft on March 24. Pearce landed with the Kansas City Chiefs at No. 31 overall.

Early in the offseason, Green and Pearce were both very popular picks for the Falcons in mock drafts. But their Falcons popularity seems to have cooled in recent weeks.

The Falcons signed veteran edge rusher Leonard Floyd in NFL free agency. However, Floyd's deal is only for one season.

Floyd should be a bridge to Atlanta's young edge rushing prospect. In a perfect world, the Falcons will find that prospect in the first round this year.

The Falcons haven't finished in the top half of the league in sacks since their last playoff appearance in 2017. During 2024, Atlanta was ranked 31st with 31 sacks.