Falcons-Panthers Rivalry at Center of Big 'What-If' in 2025 NFL Draft

One of the most fun parts of the NFL Draft is the second-guessing game fans can engage in for years to come.

Pro Football Focus' Dalton Wasserman has already started the game for the 2025 NFL Draft. On Wednesday, Wasserman named the five biggest "what-if" moments of the draft. The second one on the list was the Carolina Panthers passing on Georgia's Jalon Walker.

Instead of No. 8 to Carolina, Walker went to the Atlanta Falcons at No. 15 overall.

"Many mock drafts projected the Carolina Panthers to select Georgia linebacker Jalon Walker with the eighth-overall pick. Doing so may have changed the draft immensely, particularly for one of their division rivals, the Atlanta Falcons," wrote Wasserman.

"Atlanta ended up selecting Walker at No. 15, perhaps feeling he was an excellent value that they didn’t expect to be there. They also traded a future first-round pick to the Los Angeles Rams to acquire the 26th pick and select edge defender James Pearce Jr.

"If the Falcons were willing to go to such lengths to draft Pearce, they may have simply selected him with their original pick in the first round had Walker not been on the board. They also would still own their 2026 first-round pick as opposed to sending it to the Rams."

The Panthers passing on Walker means the Falcons landed a player for great value that could be extra motivated to face the NFC South rival twice each season. But as Wasserman explained, that's not where the "what-if" game ends for the Falcons.

If Walker wasn't available at No. 15 overall, Atlanta may have drafted Tennessee's James Pearce Jr. Instead, the Falcons still land Pearce with a trade up to No. 26 overall by using next year's first-round selection.

NFL analysts have heavily criticized the Falcons for their decision to mortgage the future for Pearce. But if Wasserman is correct that the Falcons were going to take Pearce at No. 15 if not for Walker being available, then how can Atlanta fans not be pleased the team landed who they originally wanted at No. 15 overall AND a local star linebacker who fell to them because a rival passed?

We'll never know for sure if Pearce was Atlanta's second choice at No. 15. But what they traded away to get him is a clear indication they really liked the Tennessee edge rusher.

The first-round decisions from the Panthers and Falcons weren't the only "what-if" NFC South moment on Wasserman's list. He also named the Saints passing on Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart as one of his top "what-ifs" from the 2025 NFL Draft.