The Falcons doubled up on quarterbacks during the 2024 offseason and they doubled up on edge rushers in the first round of this year’s draft.
A year after shocking many by selecting Michael Penix after signing Kirk Cousins, the Falcons dropped some more jaws when they traded their 2026 first-round pick to take Tennessee product James Pearce Jr. with the 26th pick. They had selected Jalon Walker out of Georgia with the 15th pick and it was no surprise to hear head coach Raheem Morris’s rationale for the selections in a Thursday night press conference.
“We definitely had to increase our rush, we definitely had to get our rush better and both of these players really make it better,” Morris said.