The Falcoholic
Three picks in the Top 120. How many of these top prospects will don the red and black in April?
After using an aggressive amount of resources to optimize the 2024 season, the 2025 off-season doesn’t start great for the Atlanta Falcons. According to OverTheCap.com, they start over $11 million over the projected $272.5 salary cap, buoyed by the exorbitant $40 million cap number from now-projected backup quarterback Kirk Cousins.
On top of that, Atlanta only has five picks in next year’s draft, with only two in the top 100 and the third right on the outskirts at pick 117.
That leads us to today. On Tuesday, the Athletic’s Dane Brugler dropped his Top 100 prospects of the 2025 NFL Draft. This year’s class is interesting, because outside of the two can’t-miss prospects at the top: WR/CB Travis Hunter and EDGE Abdul Carter, there isn’t a consensus on where the rest of these players would fall on teams’ big boards.
Another aspect of Brugler’s Top 100 is the fact that in the top 55 picks, there are only two quarterbacks ranked. With the lack of talent at the position, more focus will be on building the rosters around the quarterback, more specifically in the trenches.
The way the Eagles dismantled the Chiefs and their protection plan in Super Bowl LIX could be something that new defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich was brought in to do for the Falcons and their consistently anemic pass rush.
Could Atlanta find part of that answer in this draft? Or do they go the route of a premier cornerback to line up alongside A.J. Terrell, who has yet to experience a running mate that will take some of the load off his plate. There’s plenty of places the Falcons can go with the abundance of talent in this draft and only so many picks to get there.
Here are 15 prospects, five for each of Atlanta’s first three picks, that could don the red and black come April.
Consistent production was absent from his 2024 tape, but Williams battled through an ankle injury much of the year and flashed enough high-end plays to remind teams why he belongs in the first-round mix. He has length for days with the athletic body control and natural power teams will be willing to bet on, even if the nuance in his game isn’t there yet.
Long and athletic, Pearce is able to convert his speed to power, and he rushes from a low position to forklift blockers using his extended levers. There are some question marks about his ability in the run game, but he chases with terrific effort to make stops near the sidelines.
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