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PFF grades Falcons rookies Jalon Walker, James Pearce Jr. after Week 1
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- PFF grades Falcons rookies Jalon Walker, James Pearce Jr. after Week 1
The Atlanta Falcons made a splash in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft by taking two edge rushers. The team drafted Jalon Walker out of Georgia with the 15th overall pick before trading up to pick No. 26 for Tennessee pass rusher James Pearce Jr.
Neither rookie started for the Falcons in Week 1, but each received their share of snaps. Walker was on the field for 26 snaps while Pearce received 23 total in Sunday's season-opening loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers . Walker had two tackles and Pearce led the team with four pressures.
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Pro Football Focus writer Dalton Wasserman broke down the player grades for 32 first-round picks following Week 1. Let's check out what PFF had to say about Walker and Pearce.
Jalon Walker Week 1 PFF grade: 55.9
Walker played 26 snaps as part of Atlanta's edge defender rotation, recording two tackles and one quarterback hurry along the way. He also earned one negative grade in run defense, but he mostly did his job at an adequate level in his NFL debut. -- Dalton Wasserman, PFF
Walker was given a Week 1 grade of 55.9, but as Wasserman explained, there wasn't much to dislike about the rookie's debut. While the film didn't jump off the screen, Walker was solid overall and should play a bigger role going forward. Pearce was a little bit more effective as a pass rusher in Week 1, as PFF explains below.
James Pearce Jr. Week 1 PFF grade: 59.4
Pearce made his presence known in his NFL debut via a team-high four pressures against division-rival Tampa Bay. His speed and power were tough obstacles for Buccaneers left tackle Graham Barton, and he even recorded a hit on Baker Mayfield that resulted in an incompletion. His biggest error came on the first play of the second quarter when he lined up offside, but Week 1 was generally positive for Pearce. -- Dalton Wasserman, PFF
As for the Falcons' two rookie starters, Xavier Watts and Billy Bowman Jr. , there was a lot to like about their Week 1 performances. Watts earned the team's fourth-highest grade (72.8) in Sunday's loss to the Buccaneers.
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The former Notre Dame safety recorded six solo tackles and was solid in coverage. Watts was active for 58 total snaps. Bowman earned a 60.4 defensive grade from PFF after playing 47 snaps in Week 1.
Expect both rookies to continue playing a major role on defense for Atlanta this season. We'll see if Walker and Pearce are still listed as backups when the team's Week 2 depth chart is released on Tuesday.
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Atlanta Falcons: Jalon Walker, James Pearce Jr. grades for Week 1
