Four players the Falcons could pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft
By Rhys Knott
The Falcons have the 15th pick of the 2025 draft. With Bijan Robinson, Michael Penix Jr. (or maybe Kirk Cousins, who knows?), Drake London, Kyle Pitts and a solid offensive line, the offense isn’t a problem in Hot-Lanta. But that defense? Well, it’s not the worst, but it certainly doesn’t match the level of the offense.
Defending passes, in particular, was a real issue. Jimmy Lake’s unit ranked 22nd after giving up 3,817 yards through the air. And nobody conceded more touchdowns through the air!
Only the Patriots ended 2024 with fewer sacks than the 2024 Falcons, and just seven teams had a worse turnover ratio! Throwing 19 interceptions didn’t help the turnover ratio. But those offensive issues arose as a result of forcing a Cousins-shaped quarterback into a Penix Jr.-shaped offensive scheme.
The issues decreased once the Falcons finally made the change at QB. Rookie Penix Jr. only threw three picks on his 105 dropbacks. With an entire offseason as a starter to acclimatise, the soon-to-be 25-year-old’s decision-making will only improve.
For its part, the defense took 12 interceptions but only recovered six fumbles. The run defense was slightly above average, though, ranking 15th after conceding 2,051 yards on the ground.
Eight new faces arrived in Atlanta during free agency, while seven of the 2024 departed. Five of those who arrived will play on the defensive side of the ball. But five of the 2024 defense left.
The good news is that Bralen Trice should be like a new signing. Third-round pick Trice suffered a torn ACL last August and missed his entire rookie season. It’s difficult to know if all the latest arrivals will be upgrades on those who departed. But they might be better suited to a new defensive coordinator’s plan.
After three tumultuous years with the Jets, Jeff Ulbrich replaces Lake as defensive coordinator. This is Ulbrich’s second stint with the Falcons, having been linebackers coach between 2015 and 2020. During his first stay, he also filled the assistant head coach and interim defensive coordinator roles.
Ulbrich’s defensive philosophy revolves around creating turnovers through pressure. Based on the Falcons’ 2024 issues, he needs to talk Terry Fontenot into drafting some extra talent who can do that.
Jalon Walker. LB, Georgia
Leonard Floyd arrived in Hot-Lanta as a free agent. The 33-year-old Floyd had his least productive season for five years in 2024 (he still made 8.5 sacks, though). Why not draft a younger, better version of Floyd? If they’re lucky, Walker will still be available at 15.
Walker can rush the passer like Floyd, using his quickness to fly past offensive linemen. At 6-foot-1 and 243 pounds, Walker has the size and strength to take on blocks, too. And that speed allows him to drop back into zone coverage like an extra defensive back. Essentially, Walker is everything a defensive coordinator could want in a linebacker.
The 2024 Butkus Award-winning Walker started his college career slowly, with just 29 tackles and 6.5 sacks in the first two years. But he blossomed into a star as a senior. The 21-year-old made 60 tackles last season! He also made 11 tackles for a loss and 6.5 sacks; he even defended two passes and recovered two fumbles.
Walker’s 4.50 40-yard dash time ranks him in the 94th percentile of the linebacker class. It’s also the same time Brandon Aiyuk ran at his combine! Walker’s time is so fast that it has attracted the attention of the Dolphins’ Mike McDaniel and Chris Grier.
The South Carolina native didn’t perform at the combine or Georgia’s pro day after suffering a quad injury. Instead, he has arranged a private workout for coaches and GMs in mid-April.
Walker is rated the best linebacker in the 2025 class and projects as the eighth overall pick. If some teams trade into the top three, that could jumble up the top 10.
Jalon Walker (11) has some velociraptor in him
— Anthony (game script enthusiast) (@proant.bsky.social) February 21, 2025 at 5:13 PM
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Shavon Revel Jr. CB, East Carolina
Shavon Revel (top of the screen) with a pick 6 Pressure helps out with the throw, but you can see his closing speed & stride once he sees through the WR’s deception and breaks on the ball + houses it
— Anthony (game script enthusiast) (@proant.bsky.social) March 25, 2025 at 5:02 PM
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Revel Jr. is nominally a cornerback, but he’s almost a gadget player on defense. He recorded a sack and three interceptions during his 24 games at East Carolina. That’s not all; he also recovered a fumble, made five tackles for a loss and defended 15 passes.
22-year-old Revel Jr. played both receiver and cornerback in high school. But he only lined up as a defensive back in college. He also ran a 4.40, the same 40-yard time as another Swiss army knife player, Travis Hunter.
The North Carolina native is taller than Hunter, though. He’s taller than most of the class. The 6-foot-2 Revel Jr. is in the 92nd percentile of the class for height.
There is a question surrounding the level of opposition Revel Jr. has faced. He spent his truncated college career playing FBS football. His better performances came against Appalachian State and Gardner-Webb.
Revel’s heart and energy are going to translate to the NFL. The only major downside to Revel Jr. is that he is recovering from a torn ACL, which he suffered at practice back in September.
His upside far outweighs any concern about his durability, though. The way he competes for the ball alone is enough to make him a first-round pick. Some project him as a second-round pick, but he’s heavily linked with the Bills. The Falcons’ defense needs a spark, and Revel Jr. can provide it.
Carson Schwesinger. LB, UCLA
#UCLA LB Carson Schwesinger (138 tackles, 16 pressures in '24): like a gazelle
— Nick Baumgardner (@nickbaumgardner.bsky.social) January 11, 2025 at 4:35 PM
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The UCLA defense specialised in the delayed blitz. Subsequently, Schwesinger benefited from quite a few free runs at quarterbacks during his time in L.A. That may be why it’s difficult to evaluate Schwesinger.
The California native isn’t very big, only in the 55th percentile of the class for height and the 58th for weight. His 4.70 40-yard time is only in the 53rd percentile. But he recorded a 39.5-inch vertical jump at the combine, that’s in the 95th percentile!
Schwesinger’s college career is another story of two halves. He only recorded 27 tackles and one sack in his first two years at UCLA. But last year, he made 136 tackles and four sacks!
There are no glaring technical deficiencies in Schwesinger’s game. He’s a well-rounded linebacker who can defend passes just as well as he rushes the passer. He just lacks that bit of explosion to stand out from the crowd.
He’s drawing attention from the Chargers and projects as a second-round pick, although several experts believe the Rams will pick him at 26.
If Walker is off the board when the Falcons pick at 15, they should seriously consider the first-team All-American.
Maxwell Hairston. CB, Kentucky
Hairston has the perfect build for a cornerback and makes great decisions. If the 2025 cornerback class wasn’t so star-studded, he could be a top-10 pick.
Despite being only 5-foot-11, falling into the 41st percentile of this class, and having 31-inch arms in the 40th percentile, Hairston has a 76 and 3/8-inch span, which is in the 57th percentile.
Hairston absolutely destroyed the combine, too. His vertical jump and broad jump are in the 89th percentile, and his 1.5-second 10-yard split is in the 87th percentile. But his lightning-fast 4.28 is in the 99th percentile of this loaded cornerback class!
He can be over-physical in coverage, but Ulbrich would rather his defenders get in opponent’s faces than give up big plays. Hairston can sometimes get caught peeking into the backfield, too, but he’s so fast that he recovers almost instantly if he’s caught out of position.
The Michigan native only played seven games in 2024 as he battled a shoulder injury. But he still defended four passes, made an interception, recorded a tackle for a loss and sacked a quarterback.
As a sophomore, he led the SEC with five interceptions, and he made 68 tackles in his last full season.
Hairston projects anywhere between the 20th and 35th overall pick. Most experts see him as a Packer. But his athleticism is going to improve any defense in the league.
Breaking down the Maxwell Hairston tape 🎥 (via @MoveTheSticks) 📺: #NFLCombine on @nflnetwork 📱: Stream on @NFLPlus
— NFL (@nflbot.bsky.social) February 28, 2025 at 9:34 PM
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RHYS KNOTT
NFL/FANTASY FOOTBALL ANALYST
Rhys has been watching the NFL for 30 something years and still hasn’t managed to pick a team to support. When he’s not fixatED on pass rushers you can find him blithering on about most sports on Twitter @wrhys_writes