April 25, 2025 • 30 mins
Will McFadden and Tori McElhaney join Derek Rackley to recap and react to a wild first round for the Atlanta Falcons. They break down the Jalon Walker pick at 15th overall and then the trade back into the first round to select James Pearce Jr. at 26th overall. Wrapping up, they look ahead to the rest of the draft and who the Atlanta Falcons might look to draft next.
0:00 - Intro
0:22 - First round instant reactions
3:47 - Jalon Walker
10:55 - James Pearce Jr.
20:00 - Defensive optimism level
26:20 - Lookahead to days 2 & 3
29:40 - Outro
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Atlanta Falcons dot Com breaking down the first round of
the twenty twenty five draft. Weve got Tory mclahaney and
Will mcfatten here. I'm Derek Rackley.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
I got a.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
Different crew here because I'm normally with Shock and Arch here,
so but it's great to be with you guys because
it has been an exciting first round of the draft.
Coming into it, there was a couple of predictions I
think a lot of people made. This was not the
prediction that I made. The Atlanta Falcons was going to
make a move to get back into the first round
for their second pick. We'll break it all down, but
(00:29):
we're going to start chronologically, but before we get into that, y'all,
I want to break it down just your initial thoughts, right,
just initial thoughts of the first round, not necessarily the player,
but like after you've had a chance to kind of
swallow things a little bit. Your first thoughts.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
Are, this defense took a step in the right direction.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
Definitely took a step in the right direction.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
Yeah, I think when you look at the two players
that were acquired, these are two players that I think
fundamentally what they want to do is disrupt the quarterback,
get after the quarter but they do it, and they
go about it in very different ways. The makeup and
the character and the drive and just them physically so different,
almost polar opposites. And yet the goal is to get
(01:14):
after the passer, and I think like that is the
ultimate goal of what Atlanta set out to do this
off seasons. They've got to get after the quarterback. They
cannot stay where they've been in terms of a pass
rush unit. They had to go and make a big move,
and this was the big move.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
Well, before we sat down in this room, you and
I were talking a little bit, and it seemed like
the last two years there was a couple of I
guess you could call them surprises. I mean, you're coming
off a year where Tyler Algier ends up rushing for
over one thousand yards and all of a sudden, they're
like running back, yeah, And then we're like, that's kind
of a head scratch. I mean, we know Sean Robbinson's
a good player, and then obviously we've turned out a
couple of years later he's one of the best running
(01:52):
backs in the NFL. And then last year it was like, yeah,
we bring in Kirk Cousins in the offsea a great
free agent addition, We've got a veteran quarterback that's going
to stabilize the off and then it's first round quarterback.
And it was kind of like a little bit of
a head scratcher, Whereas this year it was like we're
going into it saying edge Rusher's in need. Ed Rusher's need.
By the way, I think they said that last year
that Ed Rusher was a need, but this year Will
(02:13):
edge Rusher was not only a need, but it was
addressed in the first round.
Speaker 4 (02:18):
Yeah, and I think the biggest thing with those last
two players that you mentioned, Jean and Michael Pennix. The
word conviction was used a lot with both of those picks,
and it was I think mostly mentioned with James Pearce.
But the way they spoke about Jalen Walker, you can
feel the conviction that they had. And then also when
you look back at last offseason, what was the primary
(02:39):
need quarterback?
Speaker 2 (02:40):
Yeah, they double dipped.
Speaker 4 (02:41):
They made sure that they addressed that need. I love
what they did tonight because we all came into this saying,
you gotta fix the pass rush. Guess what, pass rush
has a lot more juice to it right now than
it did coming into tonight, so I'm I'm pretty happy, right.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
Yeah, I mean this was obviously there was a couple
of free agent additions brought onto this defense to help
that side of the football, help defensive line, help pass rush,
but you figured they still needed that young new blood.
The talent in first round is where you're gonna get
some of the best athletes, some of the best tools
to work with to help that out. So Tory, let's
start with Jaalen Walker. And I think a lot of
(03:18):
times when it comes to drafting, I will say I'm
number one to say that I said the Falcons were
going to trade back out of fifteen back into the
twenties to try to get more capital. Okay, the only
thing that I got right was there was a trade. Okay,
it was the wrong direction. I had the wrong guy.
I thought they're gonna pick Michael Williams. He was gone
way before.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
Then, you both did.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
I think I saw that he was mocked anywhere from
like eight to twenty eight. Right, there was a big
range in Michael Williams, but he ends up going really
early on in the process. But let's start with Jalen Walker,
because the one thing I did say on the pre
draft show today was if for whatever reason, he is
still there at fifteen, you run the card up to
the commissioner. And as I was watching the draft tour,
(04:00):
it was all of a sudden like ten, eleven, twelve,
no Jalen Walker, Jalen Walker still on the board, And
all of a sudden, you're at fifteen and Jalen Walker
still on the board. And I was like, oh my gosh,
this might just work out for them. Yeah, was it
a similar thought for you?
Speaker 3 (04:15):
Absolutely? I was shocked that he fell to fifteen. And
if I'm sure people have heard me say this, they've
seen me write it over and over. I never once
thought that Jalen Walker was going to get past the
Carolina Panthers at eight. I never thought that was gonna happen.
Knowing their needs, knowing what I think they valued in
(04:35):
terms of an edge rusher and a presence, and also
looking at all of the impact players that they added
to their defense during free agency, I was like, Jalen
Walker's just icing on the cake for the Carolina Panthers.
I had no doubt that he was gonna be there
or not be there at fifteen. Yeah, I had no
doubt I even today, tweeted earlier today, seven hours before
(04:59):
the draft, I'm like, you're my top five players that
I think the Falcons could get in the first round,
and I didn't put Jalen Walker. And someone asked me
why did you not put Jalen Walker on there? And
I was like, cause he's not gonna be there at fifteen.
And sure enough, to your point, you just see no
Jalen Walker, No Jalen Walker. He's still there.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
He's still there.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
And I think that when it all boils down to it,
Jalen Walker is the type of player that if you're
Jeff Olbrick, if you're Raheem Morris, you are excited to
get a hold of him because one the character, the leader,
the passion, it's all there. Everything. I talked to area
(05:38):
scouts and position coaches, and I've actually spoken to Jeff
Olbrick about Jalen Walker and James Pierce, which we'll talk
about later. But what stuck out was how much they
fell in love with the player as much as they
fell in love with the person when it comes to
Jalen Walker. And I think that something that came up
in my conversation with Jeff Oulbrick and I don't want
to spoil this because it was such a great com
(06:00):
conversation that you'll be able to check out on Atlanta
Falcons dot com. But it was such a great conversation
because I asked him. I was like, this is a
guy who all we talk about with Jalen Walker is
how much of a Swiss Army knife he is. How
he can do so many different things. You can line
him up in so many different areas. He has such
a diverse and versatile skill set as a play caller.
(06:21):
Is that sometimes a difficult place to live where you
almost don't want to throw too much at him? But
you know he can do a lot, But how do
you make sure that he's not drinking water out of fire?
Hyder like that was and he he was like, you
know what, Like there is something very specific. He was like,
it's going to be a fun challenge for me as
a defensive coordinator to find Jalen Walker a home in
(06:45):
this defense because he says, as soon as I can
find him a home, we can fine tune a lot
of things and take his game from where it's already at,
which is already at a good spot, and take it
up a next level, And I think like that if
you're jeff Olbrick sitting there with Jalen Walker and Kate
Nellis and having the ability to do some different things
(07:06):
with both of them, that should be very exciting.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
You know. It's almost like the man upstairs was playing
tricks on me, because in the pregame show, I was saying,
when I was talking about Jalen Walker, basically in a
joking sense, that he's not gonna be there. I was like,
but wouldn't it be really good if you had an
opportunity where you could put Jalen Walker behind the defensive
line and put Kate Nellis up on the line of
scrimmage to rush the passer because we know how much
(07:31):
he likes to do that. And then the very next
play you put Jalen Walker on the line of scrimmage,
put kay Nellis back behind the defensive line, and it's like,
oh my gosh, that's now what's gonna happen? And will
here's And I'm gonna throw this out and it's gonna
sound a little funny at the start, but you're gonna
understand what I mean. No doubt that the Jacksonville Jaguars
obviously got a two for one player in Travis Hunter,
(07:53):
but I almost feel like the Falcons got a two
for one player in Jalen Walker, because this guy comes
up and he gets on the edge and he is
just like any edge rusher that.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
Was in this draft.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
But he's also got the versatility, the athleticism, the speed,
the tenacity to stand behind the defensive line and stay
in your traditional inside linebacker position, to fill gaps, meet
running backs, cover backs coming out of the backfield, tight ends.
You have this Swiss army knife that's kind of a
two for one. You got a potential and I don't
(08:24):
necessarily want to say in middle linebacker, but you got
an inside linebacker that has the skill set to be
an edge rusher in one player.
Speaker 4 (08:31):
Yeah, absolutely, And I mean we were talking when we
were kind of going through each edge rusher and what
they brought to the Falcons potentially, and with Jane Walker
was almost like everybody talks about the fig Fangio defense,
but it's almost like the attacking style of defense that
you see in Minnesota. And I'm thinking of, you know,
you mentioned bringing Caden or Jalen up off the edge.
(08:52):
What if they're both in that a gap. Yeah, and
now you've got James Pierce and you got Leonard Floyd
or Arnold Levy Katie, and it's like I can just
picture this kind of junkyard dog defense, I think is
what I kind of called it back then, where you
just get a bunch of guys standing up staring at
the quarterback and you have no idea is this one coming,
is that one coming?
Speaker 2 (09:09):
Other all coming?
Speaker 4 (09:10):
When play like the I think flexibility, creativity that it
unlocks is is just gonna be so much fun to watch.
But your point about having a player who can do
everything in a Swiss army knife, like how many times
have we seen that? Actually not really translate to the NFL.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
And I think that.
Speaker 4 (09:28):
It's hard because that leap is substantial, and when you
do a bunch of everything, you have to make that
jump in like five or six different aspects of your
game instead of maybe one or two that you're concentrating on.
But Jeff Ulbrick is an amazing coach. He is an
amazing teacher. I think he simplifies things in an excellent
way for players. As a former player himself, Raheem Morris
(09:51):
same type of teacher and coach who simplifies things and
gets you to play fast, and the final piece is
having Kayden nellis somebody you can directly look at, watch
tape from last year see on the practice field. I
do think that Jalen Walker is going to be much
closer to fulfilling that vision of really being a Swiss
Army knife type.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
Of player for all of those factors.
Speaker 4 (10:12):
So yeah, again, I'm really excited for what he's going
to bring to this defense.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
Jeff Albert obviously an excited defensive coordinator right now, but
to your point, Will, I almost feel like Kayden Ellis
him and Jesse Bates might be the next two most
excited people in this organization. Knowing that they've got well,
we're just still talking about Jayalen Walker, but knowing that
Cayden has got Jalen next to him to talk to him,
to mentor him, to teach him to use the skill
(10:38):
set that he brings to the table. Jesse Bates to
know that he's got another dynamic linebacker slash ed dresser
in front of him that he can continue to help
mentor and think about what's going to happen in the
film room with these guys, right two veterans that are
going to be work with not only Jalen Walker, but
also James Pierce. As we transition to the second first
(11:00):
round pick that most of us had no idea was coming.
Is that Raheem Morris and Terry Fontineau and the rest
of that staff pulled off a monumental trade. They're giving
up a first next year, they're giving up some they're
giving up some capital, definitely, but they went all in
to address a major need and they trade back into
(11:22):
the first round to take James Pierce out of Tennessee.
I think Tory a lot of people when they were
laying out the edge rushers, it was like you could
put probably a list of five guys or so down
the list, and pretty much you're gonna find James Pierce
in that list, right. And I always say that when
it comes down to this, you guys, myself, Arch Shock,
anybody else that has a platform a microphone can say
(11:45):
who they think that you should pick, who they think
the Falcons could pick. At the end of the day,
they're the ones the front office, the coaches that get
to talk to them one on one, that get to
sit down with them in meeting rooms, that get to
either fall in love or fall out of love with
certain players, and they decided that James Pierce was their guy.
So they trade back up and they get another premiere
(12:07):
pass rusher that played in the most challenging conference in
the country in the SEC at Tennessee. What does James
Pierce bring along with Jalen Walker?
Speaker 3 (12:17):
So, I what's interesting is he's very different, very different
prototype of player, and he's huge.
Speaker 2 (12:25):
Like that was something that I.
Speaker 3 (12:26):
Was talking to Jeff Ulbrick about, was I was asking
him kind of to, you know, the juxtaposition between these
two guys that he now has at his disposal, and
he was talking about James Pierce Junior and how he played.
The way he plays is so much faster and quicker
and explosive than maybe what his size is. He's like,
you think that he plays like a six one six
(12:48):
foot type of guys, maybe a smaller guy, but then
you get in the room with him and he's six'
five and you're looking straight up at him and he's,
huge and he's just a large. Individual first, off the
length that we're talking about THAT i think could pair
really nicely on the other side Of Leonard, floyd who
also is someone who plays with so much length and
has learned over years in this league how to best
(13:12):
utilize that. Length SO i think learning from him is
also going to be an interesting part Of James Peerce
junior's development as a. Rookie but the pick itself and
the idea of The falcons moving back into the first
round specifically For James Pierce. JR i think just from
my conversations with people who were a part of that,
decision is they truly feel like he was one of the,
(13:35):
best if not the, best pure ed rushers in this.
CLASS i think there's been a lot made about the
different types of ed, rushers AND i know a lot
of people are, like, oh it just depends on where
where you take, somebody depending on where you know specific
teams are grading, them not necessarily like overarching consensus of the.
Player The falcons feel like he was very high up
(13:59):
on their when they broke down the pods of edge
rushers in this class that could go, early he was
up there for them because they feel like he's a
true three down. Guy they feel like he is someone who. Interested, yeah,
no that's exactly what they. Said and SO i think
that that is something that WHEN i think about to your,
(14:19):
point the conviction you have to be convicted to move
back into the first round to go get. SOMEONE i
think there was a very very strong conviction About James Pearce.
Junior AND i also think it's really interesting, too Because
James Fears junior is a, guy let's, say a year
and a half, ago is someone that a lot of
people were mocking in the first six picks of the
(14:42):
twenty twenty FIVE Nfl, Draft and so it's very interesting
to see here we are a year, later and yes
it's a twenty six overall pick and not maybe a
six overall, pick but the mechanics and the explosiveness and
the juice that were juice came up over and over
and over, again and where you're talking About JAMES S Pearce,
Junior like that was worth it for The falcons to
(15:05):
give up their number, twin to give up their number
forty six, pick their number two forty two and a
future first round. Pick they felt convicted in the juice
Of James Pears junior in order to do.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
That and they felt that now was the time to
do it right Right they, like you could have sat
back on your laurels and Said, hey we Got Jayalen.
Walker we've got a really good player in the first.
Round let's go ahead and wait and see what's available
for our second round. Pick but they, said, no we're
going all in because this is something that has to be.
FIXED i think it's not so much that they hear the,
noise because every coach and personnel department will tell you
(15:41):
that they're not paying attention to what's going on in the.
News but they do pay attention to what's going on
on the, tape and they do pay attention to what's
going on in the stats. Column and when you're not
affecting the quarterback the way that you need to to
have success in The National Football, league at some point
it has to become a major, need and they clearly
showed that it was a major need that needed to be.
(16:02):
Dressed you guys talked a little bit About pierce to
six five and forty five pounds four point four seven
Forty that says suddenness to. Me it says athleticism to.
Me it says juice. Juice it says ability.
Speaker 4 (16:17):
To get one of those. Sweatpants this is like juicy
on the back of, it aren't?
Speaker 2 (16:20):
You you, Know jon.
Speaker 1 (16:22):
One of these like the dazzled hats exactly juice on. It,
yeah but will bringing in a guy Like James pierce
again playing at a high LEVEL sec school against arguably
some of the best tackles in the country each and every.
Week you, know this guy is well, schooled he's played
against the, best and he's ready to come in. Here
and it goes back to kind of that mantra That
(16:44):
Jeff ulbrick is talking. About the very first one is
his heart is gonna have to be established early. On
you're gonna have to figure out what's gonna what it
takes to get him to. Tick you're gonna have to
figure out how he learns the, best and then the
rest of the defense is all gonna have to rally
around both of these new players and figure out how
we're going to institute them into this defense to get
(17:05):
them comfortable number one and number, two to get him
to come screaming off the edge to make opposing quarterbacks.
Nervous that's goal number one with both of these.
Speaker 4 (17:14):
Guys, Absolutely but the way that you just laid all
of that, OUT i think that The falcons plan for
that has been. Awesome this. Offseason we've Heard Leonard floyd said.
It Raheem morris has said. It they look at this
pass rush as a little bit of a basketball, rotation
and the players that they're, ACQUIRING i really think work
well in that type of. Environment if you look At James,
(17:34):
pierce he only played like thirty four to thirty five
snaps a game over the last two. Seasons that's not
an every single down type of. Player, however one hundred
and seven pressures over the last two, years most in THE.
Sec so he is effective when he's out there on the.
Field you bring him in as a flamethrower specific kind
of designated pass rusher in year, one that's just year, one,
(17:56):
Right he's got the upside to do way more than.
That but in twenty twenty, five ALL i need you to,
do like you just, said is go get that quarterback
as fast as you, can and he does it faster
than pretty much anybody. Else like cat like is the
word that like he brings to my mind because he's
almost like a wide. RECEIVER i THINK i told you
this where it's like he doesn't want you to touch.
(18:16):
Him he, hates, right he hates being, touched and so
he's out here they're playing two hand touch football as
a pass presher and he's dancing around. Everybody and then
on the other side you Get Jalen walker just like
zombie walking a dude right back in the lap of the.
Quarterback you've Got arnold ab A kad maybe coming around
on a stun Or Leonard. Flock like, again that the
vision for all of, this the way it could work,
(18:37):
together the way it could work, individually just all of
the pieces you're seeing the dots kind of start getting,
connected and like the defense feels night and day. DIFFERENT
i know it's just been two picks AND i don't
want to make too much about, it but, LIKE i
just feel so much better about this defense right.
Speaker 3 (18:54):
Now something else too that you talking, About you, Know
James James Pierce, junior only having played thirty five forty
snaps but being so effective in that that is not
dissimilar to What Jalen walker was for The University. Jeordian
this is a guy who led in almost every single
pass rush statistic for The university Of, georgia very very solid.
(19:17):
Defense but he only had the seventh most pass rush
snaps on the. Team so there are six other guys
ahead of him that had more pass rush, snaps more
pass rush, opportunities and yet It's Jalen walker who is
leading that group in every single pass rush metric in
the same way That James Pearce junior is doing the
(19:38):
same thing At. Tennessee they're, efficiency, efficiency efficient.
Speaker 1 (19:42):
Rushers we are on An Atlanta falcons, podcast, right so
it's easy to take this next question or conversation as
a quote unquote. Homer BUT i would also say that
the draft is a time for optimism for every single,
team and especially the first round is a time for
optimism because you are arguably getting one of the most
(20:05):
dynamic players in the college ranks that's coming to join your,
team and he is likely fitting a need that you. Have,
now obviously there's the argument between best player available and,
need but The Atlanta falcons clearly addressed a need and
maybe we'll find out that that Was we're a perfect
marriage this year between best player available in a. Need
(20:25):
BUT i want to ask you guys this, Question, tori
what is Your what is your? Scale AND i don't
even know what it. Is i'm making this up on
it as we go, here on a scale of one to.
Ten your optimism now for this defense is.
Speaker 3 (20:37):
What probably a, SEVEN a, SEVEN a, seven WHICH i
probably think there's fans out there that are like. Seven
but the thing is, is, like we DON'T i don't
know what this defense is going to look Like jesse
yet sure new defensive, coordinator two new fresh face first
(20:57):
round picks that are going to be a part of,
this and also some new faces from free. Agency, also
there's still more things that could happen in this year's,
draft and there's more things that can happen in free
agency down the. Road they Got Matthew judon And Justin
simmons during training. Camp so LIKE i still am, Calm
i'm a little. BIT i do tend to lead more pessimistic,
(21:20):
sometimes so take that with a grain of. Salt BUT
i do think that it goes back to my first point. Though,
OVERALL i think this defense took a step in the right.
Direction we'll see if that pays. Off you hope it pays,
off And i'll be, honest my overall personal excitement, level
as someone who has mocked AN Edg dresher to The
(21:42):
falcons every year for the last four, Years i'm so
glad it finally, happened and not just finally, happened but
happen twice in the first, round and that's. Nice AND
i think, too just from the fan bases. PERSPECTIVE i
think last year when we sat in this very podcast
studio and we're trying to have the conversation About Michael
(22:04):
Penis junior being taken at number eight overall and knowing
how the fan base felt about that in the confusion
and how essentially The Atlanta falcons organization shocked the world
because they're, like what do you mean you're gonna double?
Dip you already Have Kirk, cousins what are you? Doing
and looking back on that, decision right decision to, make
but at the, time it's met so, differently and SO i,
(22:26):
think like that's also Why i'm a little bit, hesitant
is because talking last, year it's, Like, okay there's this
optimism About Michael, penicks but we have no idea who
he's going to become or when we're even going to see.
Him with this, group with these two new, edgereshers these
two new defensive, players it's, like there is that, optimism
there is that, excitement but what are you going to
(22:47):
do when they're in the. Building what Is Jeff olbert
going to do with? Them how do they change what
this defense can do.
Speaker 1 (22:53):
TO i didn't ask you if they were going to
The Super. BOWL i, KNOW i was asking your optimism level? Here, okay?
Speaker 3 (22:58):
Seven well a.
Speaker 2 (23:00):
Seven i'm Just, will what's.
Speaker 1 (23:02):
Your what's your optimism level?
Speaker 3 (23:04):
Score?
Speaker 2 (23:05):
Will super?
Speaker 3 (23:05):
Optimistic he?
Speaker 2 (23:06):
IS i? AM i am super optimistic.
Speaker 3 (23:09):
Asimistic he's, optimistic that's.
Speaker 4 (23:11):
TRUE i, YEAH i can see the silver lining in.
ANYTHING I i mean, like it's it's an ad er
And i'm, LIKE i think if everything being taken with
a grain of, salt, RIGHT i suddenly don't think that
The falcons are going to go out there and be
like what The Denver broncos were last year or anything like.
That BUT I i do, think, again you trust your biggest
(23:32):
need in the biggest possible. Way there's gonna be excitement
about both of these. Players they're both players THAT i
think do have some, upside but different ways that they
can be used. Immediately so you're better in twenty twenty,
five but there's still the room to grow around them
as those. Players The the one thing THAT i do
think is interesting to note is the big turnaround That
atlanta had last year rushing the PASSER i think had
(23:55):
as much to do with their run defense as actually
their their pass, rush because we heard how many Times
Jimmy lake kind of, say in order for your pass
rush to be, effective you've got to get teams into passing.
Speaker 2 (24:05):
Situations.
Speaker 4 (24:06):
Right, so as nice as it is to Have James, pearce,
like you got to get him on the, field and
so to do, that you've got to set teams back
behind the eight. Ball and that is maybe the one
area of this defense THAT i don't know if they've
significantly improved in that. Way So i'm curious to see
how that all plays together and fits. Together can you
get these pass rushers out on the. Field but we
(24:27):
still have some drafts to, go so very excited for
that specific aspect of this. Defense and then you, know
knowing that you've Got Jesse bates on the back end
patrolling the, secondary, like let's get him a few more
errant passes his, way right?
Speaker 1 (24:39):
Right, No, NO i think it's a great point because
will you, know WHEN i look at This falcons, defense
just think this is my personal. Opinion people might, disagree
but the areas that they needed to get better was
affect a quarterback, more, okay get off the field more
on third, down and create more. Takeaways. Okay and IF
i look at what these two guys can help do
(25:00):
if they're being effective in what they were brought here to, do,
right which is to affect a, quarterback make it. Difficult
obviously we'd like to see the quarterback on the. Ground
but if quarterbacks are scrambling for their lives and they're
having to throw the ball out away out of, bounds
or it's getting tipped at the line of scrimmage and
then somebody's coming up with a interception or the tip
ends up causing a three and, out that is getting
(25:23):
the job done and getting the posing offense off the,
field which is some of the best quarterbacks in the.
World and it's giving your, offense which we know we
have optimism on that side of the ball as, well
giving them an opportunity to come back on the field
to put points on the.
Speaker 2 (25:37):
Board.
Speaker 1 (25:38):
Right so to, me both of these selections help you
get closer to securing those three things THAT i talked
about that need to get better if you want to
get yourself into the, postseason.
Speaker 4 (25:50):
RIGHT i think one other aspect of that is the
mobile quarterback, element which The falcons have played a lot
of mobile.
Speaker 2 (25:55):
Quarterbacks of the last couple of.
Speaker 4 (25:57):
Years, right and how many times have we seen that
third and six of a sudden become a new set of.
Downs Jalen walker's closing speed is, insane, Right James pearce's
burst up the, Field he's gonna cut off any type
of a skate route.
Speaker 3 (26:09):
Immediately so this defense just got a lot, faster, faster.
Speaker 1 (26:12):
Yes, Yes so before we wrap it, up, guys let's
just again now that we've kind of talked about both,
players we talked about the trade the move, again so
we WE i think we would all agree that this
defense has gotten. Better, Right and now as we end
up going to day two and day, Three i'm gonna
ask BECAUSE i was put on the spot as far
(26:33):
as where do we go next after this pass rushers was? Addressed,
okay do you guys foresee as we get to this
next pick on day, two is it stayed defense or
does this end up being more?
Speaker 3 (26:44):
Wildcard i'm, going and people may be shocked about. THIS
i am going interior of defensive or offensive. Line, okay,
YES i will say offensive. LINE i think that there
could be some good sinners that may be at that you,
know pick potentially on day. TWO i think there are
(27:04):
some defensive tackles who BECAUSE i still think as much
as you put into this defensive line With Jalen walker
And James Pearce, junior this defensive, FRONT i still think
you need a little bit extra body in the interior
of this defensive. Line AND i would really like to
(27:26):
see a big dude get body of big. Body and
then also the other side of that is okay if
you don't go defensive. Tackle let's SAY i would be
okay with drafting a, center and BECAUSE i want someone
to come in and be this true competition For ryan
Noozl they've said they feel comfortable and confident In Ryan,
(27:47):
noozle AND i agree with. THAT i agree with, That
but you got to think about the future of it,
too AND i think that there are oftentimes a lot
of good sinners that come out of the third. ROUND
i like.
Speaker 1 (28:00):
It, yeah what's your initial?
Speaker 2 (28:02):
THOUGHTS i THINK i agree With.
Speaker 4 (28:05):
TORI i would have felt better about the cornerbacks if
they were staying at forty. SIX i don't really think
that kind of at the tail end of the third,
round that's not. WHERE i like the strength of that position,
group particularly so if you look at the interior of
the defensive, line AND i know who you really, want
you Want Ty robinson out Of. Nebraska he's such a big.
Speaker 3 (28:28):
Dude he's built like a.
Speaker 2 (28:29):
Tree drunk like he literally. Is it's just insane. Movie
he's so.
Speaker 4 (28:33):
Tough, yeah but The Josh farmer is another player out
Of Florida. State, Like i'd be happy with any of
those types of. Players but then, yeah if you can
give me A Jared wilson out Of, georgia, ye like
that would be great as. WELL i would also throw
a wide, receiver you. KNOW i think there's a chance
that if you want to elevate that third receiver fourth receiver,
role however they want to Use Rey, ray that could
be a good spot as. Well so end of the
(28:54):
third round is.
Speaker 1 (28:55):
INTERESTING i was going into this thinking that the three
needs were edge rusher and corner and, linebacker and then
outside of that wide receiver was the next. One for.
ME i just felt like another speed threat on the,
outside somebody to really likes to go defenses to respect the. Speed,
right we Saw Matthew golden get drafted by The packers
(29:16):
today with the blazing. Speed like last year we saw
the same thing by The. Chiefs you pick a Guy
Xavier worthy that can absolutely take the top off the
defense that makes defensive backs defensive coordinators have to think
a little bit differently about their play. Calls so maybe
we'll see if that ends up factoring Into day two
or Even day three for The Atlanta. Falcons but as
(29:37):
we Recap day, One Atlanta falcons get not one but
two first round, picks both coming out of THE. Sec
Jalen walker was the first selection at, fifteen and Then
Atlanta falcons trade back into the first round and they
Get James Pierce junior out Of tennessee to get two
edge rushers for this twenty twenty five draft. Class so,
(29:58):
well we'll see what the the rest of this coaching
staff in front office has in store For day two
And day, three BUT i think we would all three
of us agree that it was a Successful day. One
so thanks for joining us so much here On Atlanta
falcons dot. Com and guess, what we will have so
much more coverage as we continue our way through this
twenty twenty FIVE Nfl. Draft thanks so much for joining.
Speaker 2 (30:18):
Us, everyone
Atlanta Falcons dot Com breaking down the first round of
the twenty twenty five draft. Weve got Tory mclahaney and
Will mcfatten here. I'm Derek Rackley.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
I got a.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
Different crew here because I'm normally with Shock and Arch here,
so but it's great to be with you guys because
it has been an exciting first round of the draft.
Coming into it, there was a couple of predictions I
think a lot of people made. This was not the
prediction that I made. The Atlanta Falcons was going to
make a move to get back into the first round
for their second pick. We'll break it all down, but
(00:29):
we're going to start chronologically, but before we get into that, y'all,
I want to break it down just your initial thoughts, right,
just initial thoughts of the first round, not necessarily the player,
but like after you've had a chance to kind of
swallow things a little bit. Your first thoughts.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
Are, this defense took a step in the right direction.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
Definitely took a step in the right direction.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
Yeah, I think when you look at the two players
that were acquired, these are two players that I think
fundamentally what they want to do is disrupt the quarterback,
get after the quarter but they do it, and they
go about it in very different ways. The makeup and
the character and the drive and just them physically so different,
almost polar opposites. And yet the goal is to get
(01:14):
after the passer, and I think like that is the
ultimate goal of what Atlanta set out to do this
off seasons. They've got to get after the quarterback. They
cannot stay where they've been in terms of a pass
rush unit. They had to go and make a big move,
and this was the big move.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
Well, before we sat down in this room, you and
I were talking a little bit, and it seemed like
the last two years there was a couple of I
guess you could call them surprises. I mean, you're coming
off a year where Tyler Algier ends up rushing for
over one thousand yards and all of a sudden, they're
like running back, yeah, And then we're like, that's kind
of a head scratch. I mean, we know Sean Robbinson's
a good player, and then obviously we've turned out a
couple of years later he's one of the best running
(01:52):
backs in the NFL. And then last year it was like, yeah,
we bring in Kirk Cousins in the offsea a great
free agent addition, We've got a veteran quarterback that's going
to stabilize the off and then it's first round quarterback.
And it was kind of like a little bit of
a head scratcher, Whereas this year it was like we're
going into it saying edge Rusher's in need. Ed Rusher's need.
By the way, I think they said that last year
that Ed Rusher was a need, but this year Will
(02:13):
edge Rusher was not only a need, but it was
addressed in the first round.
Speaker 4 (02:18):
Yeah, and I think the biggest thing with those last
two players that you mentioned, Jean and Michael Pennix. The
word conviction was used a lot with both of those picks,
and it was I think mostly mentioned with James Pearce.
But the way they spoke about Jalen Walker, you can
feel the conviction that they had. And then also when
you look back at last offseason, what was the primary
(02:39):
need quarterback?
Speaker 2 (02:40):
Yeah, they double dipped.
Speaker 4 (02:41):
They made sure that they addressed that need. I love
what they did tonight because we all came into this saying,
you gotta fix the pass rush. Guess what, pass rush
has a lot more juice to it right now than
it did coming into tonight, so I'm I'm pretty happy, right.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
Yeah, I mean this was obviously there was a couple
of free agent additions brought onto this defense to help
that side of the football, help defensive line, help pass rush,
but you figured they still needed that young new blood.
The talent in first round is where you're gonna get
some of the best athletes, some of the best tools
to work with to help that out. So Tory, let's
start with Jaalen Walker. And I think a lot of
(03:18):
times when it comes to drafting, I will say I'm
number one to say that I said the Falcons were
going to trade back out of fifteen back into the
twenties to try to get more capital. Okay, the only
thing that I got right was there was a trade. Okay,
it was the wrong direction. I had the wrong guy.
I thought they're gonna pick Michael Williams. He was gone
way before.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
Then, you both did.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
I think I saw that he was mocked anywhere from
like eight to twenty eight. Right, there was a big
range in Michael Williams, but he ends up going really
early on in the process. But let's start with Jalen Walker,
because the one thing I did say on the pre
draft show today was if for whatever reason, he is
still there at fifteen, you run the card up to
the commissioner. And as I was watching the draft tour,
(04:00):
it was all of a sudden like ten, eleven, twelve,
no Jalen Walker, Jalen Walker still on the board, And
all of a sudden, you're at fifteen and Jalen Walker
still on the board. And I was like, oh my gosh,
this might just work out for them. Yeah, was it
a similar thought for you?
Speaker 3 (04:15):
Absolutely? I was shocked that he fell to fifteen. And
if I'm sure people have heard me say this, they've
seen me write it over and over. I never once
thought that Jalen Walker was going to get past the
Carolina Panthers at eight. I never thought that was gonna happen.
Knowing their needs, knowing what I think they valued in
(04:35):
terms of an edge rusher and a presence, and also
looking at all of the impact players that they added
to their defense during free agency, I was like, Jalen
Walker's just icing on the cake for the Carolina Panthers.
I had no doubt that he was gonna be there
or not be there at fifteen. Yeah, I had no
doubt I even today, tweeted earlier today, seven hours before
(04:59):
the draft, I'm like, you're my top five players that
I think the Falcons could get in the first round,
and I didn't put Jalen Walker. And someone asked me
why did you not put Jalen Walker on there? And
I was like, cause he's not gonna be there at fifteen.
And sure enough, to your point, you just see no
Jalen Walker, No Jalen Walker. He's still there.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
He's still there.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
And I think that when it all boils down to it,
Jalen Walker is the type of player that if you're
Jeff Olbrick, if you're Raheem Morris, you are excited to
get a hold of him because one the character, the leader,
the passion, it's all there. Everything. I talked to area
(05:38):
scouts and position coaches, and I've actually spoken to Jeff
Olbrick about Jalen Walker and James Pierce, which we'll talk
about later. But what stuck out was how much they
fell in love with the player as much as they
fell in love with the person when it comes to
Jalen Walker. And I think that something that came up
in my conversation with Jeff Oulbrick and I don't want
to spoil this because it was such a great com
(06:00):
conversation that you'll be able to check out on Atlanta
Falcons dot com. But it was such a great conversation
because I asked him. I was like, this is a
guy who all we talk about with Jalen Walker is
how much of a Swiss Army knife he is. How
he can do so many different things. You can line
him up in so many different areas. He has such
a diverse and versatile skill set as a play caller.
(06:21):
Is that sometimes a difficult place to live where you
almost don't want to throw too much at him? But
you know he can do a lot, But how do
you make sure that he's not drinking water out of fire?
Hyder like that was and he he was like, you
know what, Like there is something very specific. He was like,
it's going to be a fun challenge for me as
a defensive coordinator to find Jalen Walker a home in
(06:45):
this defense because he says, as soon as I can
find him a home, we can fine tune a lot
of things and take his game from where it's already at,
which is already at a good spot, and take it
up a next level, And I think like that if
you're jeff Olbrick sitting there with Jalen Walker and Kate
Nellis and having the ability to do some different things
(07:06):
with both of them, that should be very exciting.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
You know. It's almost like the man upstairs was playing
tricks on me, because in the pregame show, I was saying,
when I was talking about Jalen Walker, basically in a
joking sense, that he's not gonna be there. I was like,
but wouldn't it be really good if you had an
opportunity where you could put Jalen Walker behind the defensive
line and put Kate Nellis up on the line of
scrimmage to rush the passer because we know how much
(07:31):
he likes to do that. And then the very next
play you put Jalen Walker on the line of scrimmage,
put kay Nellis back behind the defensive line, and it's like,
oh my gosh, that's now what's gonna happen? And will
here's And I'm gonna throw this out and it's gonna
sound a little funny at the start, but you're gonna
understand what I mean. No doubt that the Jacksonville Jaguars
obviously got a two for one player in Travis Hunter,
(07:53):
but I almost feel like the Falcons got a two
for one player in Jalen Walker, because this guy comes
up and he gets on the edge and he is
just like any edge rusher that.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
Was in this draft.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
But he's also got the versatility, the athleticism, the speed,
the tenacity to stand behind the defensive line and stay
in your traditional inside linebacker position, to fill gaps, meet
running backs, cover backs coming out of the backfield, tight ends.
You have this Swiss army knife that's kind of a
two for one. You got a potential and I don't
(08:24):
necessarily want to say in middle linebacker, but you got
an inside linebacker that has the skill set to be
an edge rusher in one player.
Speaker 4 (08:31):
Yeah, absolutely, And I mean we were talking when we
were kind of going through each edge rusher and what
they brought to the Falcons potentially, and with Jane Walker
was almost like everybody talks about the fig Fangio defense,
but it's almost like the attacking style of defense that
you see in Minnesota. And I'm thinking of, you know,
you mentioned bringing Caden or Jalen up off the edge.
(08:52):
What if they're both in that a gap. Yeah, and
now you've got James Pierce and you got Leonard Floyd
or Arnold Levy Katie, and it's like I can just
picture this kind of junkyard dog defense, I think is
what I kind of called it back then, where you
just get a bunch of guys standing up staring at
the quarterback and you have no idea is this one coming,
is that one coming?
Speaker 2 (09:09):
Other all coming?
Speaker 4 (09:10):
When play like the I think flexibility, creativity that it
unlocks is is just gonna be so much fun to watch.
But your point about having a player who can do
everything in a Swiss army knife, like how many times
have we seen that? Actually not really translate to the NFL.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
And I think that.
Speaker 4 (09:28):
It's hard because that leap is substantial, and when you
do a bunch of everything, you have to make that
jump in like five or six different aspects of your
game instead of maybe one or two that you're concentrating on.
But Jeff Ulbrick is an amazing coach. He is an
amazing teacher. I think he simplifies things in an excellent
way for players. As a former player himself, Raheem Morris
(09:51):
same type of teacher and coach who simplifies things and
gets you to play fast, and the final piece is
having Kayden nellis somebody you can directly look at, watch
tape from last year see on the practice field. I
do think that Jalen Walker is going to be much
closer to fulfilling that vision of really being a Swiss
Army knife type.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
Of player for all of those factors.
Speaker 4 (10:12):
So yeah, again, I'm really excited for what he's going
to bring to this defense.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
Jeff Albert obviously an excited defensive coordinator right now, but
to your point, Will, I almost feel like Kayden Ellis
him and Jesse Bates might be the next two most
excited people in this organization. Knowing that they've got well,
we're just still talking about Jayalen Walker, but knowing that
Cayden has got Jalen next to him to talk to him,
to mentor him, to teach him to use the skill
(10:38):
set that he brings to the table. Jesse Bates to
know that he's got another dynamic linebacker slash ed dresser
in front of him that he can continue to help
mentor and think about what's going to happen in the
film room with these guys, right two veterans that are
going to be work with not only Jalen Walker, but
also James Pierce. As we transition to the second first
(11:00):
round pick that most of us had no idea was coming.
Is that Raheem Morris and Terry Fontineau and the rest
of that staff pulled off a monumental trade. They're giving
up a first next year, they're giving up some they're
giving up some capital, definitely, but they went all in
to address a major need and they trade back into
(11:22):
the first round to take James Pierce out of Tennessee.
I think Tory a lot of people when they were
laying out the edge rushers, it was like you could
put probably a list of five guys or so down
the list, and pretty much you're gonna find James Pierce
in that list, right. And I always say that when
it comes down to this, you guys, myself, Arch Shock,
anybody else that has a platform a microphone can say
(11:45):
who they think that you should pick, who they think
the Falcons could pick. At the end of the day,
they're the ones the front office, the coaches that get
to talk to them one on one, that get to
sit down with them in meeting rooms, that get to
either fall in love or fall out of love with
certain players, and they decided that James Pierce was their guy.
So they trade back up and they get another premiere
(12:07):
pass rusher that played in the most challenging conference in
the country in the SEC at Tennessee. What does James
Pierce bring along with Jalen Walker?
Speaker 3 (12:17):
So, I what's interesting is he's very different, very different
prototype of player, and he's huge.
Speaker 2 (12:25):
Like that was something that I.
Speaker 3 (12:26):
Was talking to Jeff Ulbrick about, was I was asking
him kind of to, you know, the juxtaposition between these
two guys that he now has at his disposal, and
he was talking about James Pierce Junior and how he played.
The way he plays is so much faster and quicker
and explosive than maybe what his size is. He's like,
you think that he plays like a six one six
(12:48):
foot type of guys, maybe a smaller guy, but then
you get in the room with him and he's six'
five and you're looking straight up at him and he's,
huge and he's just a large. Individual first, off the
length that we're talking about THAT i think could pair
really nicely on the other side Of Leonard, floyd who
also is someone who plays with so much length and
has learned over years in this league how to best
(13:12):
utilize that. Length SO i think learning from him is
also going to be an interesting part Of James Peerce
junior's development as a. Rookie but the pick itself and
the idea of The falcons moving back into the first
round specifically For James Pierce. JR i think just from
my conversations with people who were a part of that,
decision is they truly feel like he was one of the,
(13:35):
best if not the, best pure ed rushers in this.
CLASS i think there's been a lot made about the
different types of ed, rushers AND i know a lot
of people are, like, oh it just depends on where
where you take, somebody depending on where you know specific
teams are grading, them not necessarily like overarching consensus of the.
Player The falcons feel like he was very high up
(13:59):
on their when they broke down the pods of edge
rushers in this class that could go, early he was
up there for them because they feel like he's a
true three down. Guy they feel like he is someone who. Interested, yeah,
no that's exactly what they. Said and SO i think
that that is something that WHEN i think about to your,
(14:19):
point the conviction you have to be convicted to move
back into the first round to go get. SOMEONE i
think there was a very very strong conviction About James Pearce.
Junior AND i also think it's really interesting, too Because
James Fears junior is a, guy let's, say a year
and a half, ago is someone that a lot of
people were mocking in the first six picks of the
(14:42):
twenty twenty FIVE Nfl, Draft and so it's very interesting
to see here we are a year, later and yes
it's a twenty six overall pick and not maybe a
six overall, pick but the mechanics and the explosiveness and
the juice that were juice came up over and over
and over, again and where you're talking About JAMES S Pearce,
Junior like that was worth it for The falcons to
(15:05):
give up their number, twin to give up their number
forty six, pick their number two forty two and a
future first round. Pick they felt convicted in the juice
Of James Pears junior in order to do.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
That and they felt that now was the time to
do it right Right they, like you could have sat
back on your laurels and Said, hey we Got Jayalen.
Walker we've got a really good player in the first.
Round let's go ahead and wait and see what's available
for our second round. Pick but they, said, no we're
going all in because this is something that has to be.
FIXED i think it's not so much that they hear the,
noise because every coach and personnel department will tell you
(15:41):
that they're not paying attention to what's going on in the.
News but they do pay attention to what's going on
on the, tape and they do pay attention to what's
going on in the stats. Column and when you're not
affecting the quarterback the way that you need to to
have success in The National Football, league at some point
it has to become a major, need and they clearly
showed that it was a major need that needed to be.
(16:02):
Dressed you guys talked a little bit About pierce to
six five and forty five pounds four point four seven
Forty that says suddenness to. Me it says athleticism to.
Me it says juice. Juice it says ability.
Speaker 4 (16:17):
To get one of those. Sweatpants this is like juicy
on the back of, it aren't?
Speaker 2 (16:20):
You you, Know jon.
Speaker 1 (16:22):
One of these like the dazzled hats exactly juice on. It,
yeah but will bringing in a guy Like James pierce
again playing at a high LEVEL sec school against arguably
some of the best tackles in the country each and every.
Week you, know this guy is well, schooled he's played
against the, best and he's ready to come in. Here
and it goes back to kind of that mantra That
(16:44):
Jeff ulbrick is talking. About the very first one is
his heart is gonna have to be established early. On
you're gonna have to figure out what's gonna what it
takes to get him to. Tick you're gonna have to
figure out how he learns the, best and then the
rest of the defense is all gonna have to rally
around both of these new players and figure out how
we're going to institute them into this defense to get
(17:05):
them comfortable number one and number, two to get him
to come screaming off the edge to make opposing quarterbacks.
Nervous that's goal number one with both of these.
Speaker 4 (17:14):
Guys, Absolutely but the way that you just laid all
of that, OUT i think that The falcons plan for
that has been. Awesome this. Offseason we've Heard Leonard floyd said.
It Raheem morris has said. It they look at this
pass rush as a little bit of a basketball, rotation
and the players that they're, ACQUIRING i really think work
well in that type of. Environment if you look At James,
(17:34):
pierce he only played like thirty four to thirty five
snaps a game over the last two. Seasons that's not
an every single down type of. Player, however one hundred
and seven pressures over the last two, years most in THE.
Sec so he is effective when he's out there on the.
Field you bring him in as a flamethrower specific kind
of designated pass rusher in year, one that's just year, one,
(17:56):
Right he's got the upside to do way more than.
That but in twenty twenty, five ALL i need you to,
do like you just, said is go get that quarterback
as fast as you, can and he does it faster
than pretty much anybody. Else like cat like is the
word that like he brings to my mind because he's
almost like a wide. RECEIVER i THINK i told you
this where it's like he doesn't want you to touch.
(18:16):
Him he, hates, right he hates being, touched and so
he's out here they're playing two hand touch football as
a pass presher and he's dancing around. Everybody and then
on the other side you Get Jalen walker just like
zombie walking a dude right back in the lap of the.
Quarterback you've Got arnold ab A kad maybe coming around
on a stun Or Leonard. Flock like, again that the
vision for all of, this the way it could work,
(18:37):
together the way it could work, individually just all of
the pieces you're seeing the dots kind of start getting,
connected and like the defense feels night and day. DIFFERENT
i know it's just been two picks AND i don't
want to make too much about, it but, LIKE i
just feel so much better about this defense right.
Speaker 3 (18:54):
Now something else too that you talking, About you, Know
James James Pierce, junior only having played thirty five forty
snaps but being so effective in that that is not
dissimilar to What Jalen walker was for The University. Jeordian
this is a guy who led in almost every single
pass rush statistic for The university Of, georgia very very solid.
(19:17):
Defense but he only had the seventh most pass rush
snaps on the. Team so there are six other guys
ahead of him that had more pass rush, snaps more
pass rush, opportunities and yet It's Jalen walker who is
leading that group in every single pass rush metric in
the same way That James Pearce junior is doing the
(19:38):
same thing At. Tennessee they're, efficiency, efficiency efficient.
Speaker 1 (19:42):
Rushers we are on An Atlanta falcons, podcast, right so
it's easy to take this next question or conversation as
a quote unquote. Homer BUT i would also say that
the draft is a time for optimism for every single,
team and especially the first round is a time for
optimism because you are arguably getting one of the most
(20:05):
dynamic players in the college ranks that's coming to join your,
team and he is likely fitting a need that you. Have,
now obviously there's the argument between best player available and,
need but The Atlanta falcons clearly addressed a need and
maybe we'll find out that that Was we're a perfect
marriage this year between best player available in a. Need
(20:25):
BUT i want to ask you guys this, Question, tori
what is Your what is your? Scale AND i don't
even know what it. Is i'm making this up on
it as we go, here on a scale of one to.
Ten your optimism now for this defense is.
Speaker 3 (20:37):
What probably a, SEVEN a, SEVEN a, seven WHICH i
probably think there's fans out there that are like. Seven
but the thing is, is, like we DON'T i don't
know what this defense is going to look Like jesse
yet sure new defensive, coordinator two new fresh face first
(20:57):
round picks that are going to be a part of,
this and also some new faces from free. Agency, also
there's still more things that could happen in this year's,
draft and there's more things that can happen in free
agency down the. Road they Got Matthew judon And Justin
simmons during training. Camp so LIKE i still am, Calm
i'm a little. BIT i do tend to lead more pessimistic,
(21:20):
sometimes so take that with a grain of. Salt BUT
i do think that it goes back to my first point. Though,
OVERALL i think this defense took a step in the right.
Direction we'll see if that pays. Off you hope it pays,
off And i'll be, honest my overall personal excitement, level
as someone who has mocked AN Edg dresher to The
(21:42):
falcons every year for the last four, Years i'm so
glad it finally, happened and not just finally, happened but
happen twice in the first, round and that's. Nice AND
i think, too just from the fan bases. PERSPECTIVE i
think last year when we sat in this very podcast
studio and we're trying to have the conversation About Michael
(22:04):
Penis junior being taken at number eight overall and knowing
how the fan base felt about that in the confusion
and how essentially The Atlanta falcons organization shocked the world
because they're, like what do you mean you're gonna double?
Dip you already Have Kirk, cousins what are you? Doing
and looking back on that, decision right decision to, make
but at the, time it's met so, differently and SO i,
(22:26):
think like that's also Why i'm a little bit, hesitant
is because talking last, year it's, Like, okay there's this
optimism About Michael, penicks but we have no idea who
he's going to become or when we're even going to see.
Him with this, group with these two new, edgereshers these
two new defensive, players it's, like there is that, optimism
there is that, excitement but what are you going to
(22:47):
do when they're in the. Building what Is Jeff olbert
going to do with? Them how do they change what
this defense can do.
Speaker 1 (22:53):
TO i didn't ask you if they were going to
The Super. BOWL i, KNOW i was asking your optimism level? Here, okay?
Speaker 3 (22:58):
Seven well a.
Speaker 2 (23:00):
Seven i'm Just, will what's.
Speaker 1 (23:02):
Your what's your optimism level?
Speaker 3 (23:04):
Score?
Speaker 2 (23:05):
Will super?
Speaker 3 (23:05):
Optimistic he?
Speaker 2 (23:06):
IS i? AM i am super optimistic.
Speaker 3 (23:09):
Asimistic he's, optimistic that's.
Speaker 4 (23:11):
TRUE i, YEAH i can see the silver lining in.
ANYTHING I i mean, like it's it's an ad er
And i'm, LIKE i think if everything being taken with
a grain of, salt, RIGHT i suddenly don't think that
The falcons are going to go out there and be
like what The Denver broncos were last year or anything like.
That BUT I i do, think, again you trust your biggest
(23:32):
need in the biggest possible. Way there's gonna be excitement
about both of these. Players they're both players THAT i
think do have some, upside but different ways that they
can be used. Immediately so you're better in twenty twenty,
five but there's still the room to grow around them
as those. Players The the one thing THAT i do
think is interesting to note is the big turnaround That
atlanta had last year rushing the PASSER i think had
(23:55):
as much to do with their run defense as actually
their their pass, rush because we heard how many Times
Jimmy lake kind of, say in order for your pass
rush to be, effective you've got to get teams into passing.
Speaker 2 (24:05):
Situations.
Speaker 4 (24:06):
Right, so as nice as it is to Have James, pearce,
like you got to get him on the, field and
so to do, that you've got to set teams back
behind the eight. Ball and that is maybe the one
area of this defense THAT i don't know if they've
significantly improved in that. Way So i'm curious to see
how that all plays together and fits. Together can you
get these pass rushers out on the. Field but we
(24:27):
still have some drafts to, go so very excited for
that specific aspect of this. Defense and then you, know
knowing that you've Got Jesse bates on the back end
patrolling the, secondary, like let's get him a few more
errant passes his, way right?
Speaker 1 (24:39):
Right, No, NO i think it's a great point because
will you, know WHEN i look at This falcons, defense
just think this is my personal. Opinion people might, disagree
but the areas that they needed to get better was
affect a quarterback, more, okay get off the field more
on third, down and create more. Takeaways. Okay and IF
i look at what these two guys can help do
(25:00):
if they're being effective in what they were brought here to, do,
right which is to affect a, quarterback make it. Difficult
obviously we'd like to see the quarterback on the. Ground
but if quarterbacks are scrambling for their lives and they're
having to throw the ball out away out of, bounds
or it's getting tipped at the line of scrimmage and
then somebody's coming up with a interception or the tip
ends up causing a three and, out that is getting
(25:23):
the job done and getting the posing offense off the,
field which is some of the best quarterbacks in the.
World and it's giving your, offense which we know we
have optimism on that side of the ball as, well
giving them an opportunity to come back on the field
to put points on the.
Speaker 2 (25:37):
Board.
Speaker 1 (25:38):
Right so to, me both of these selections help you
get closer to securing those three things THAT i talked
about that need to get better if you want to
get yourself into the, postseason.
Speaker 4 (25:50):
RIGHT i think one other aspect of that is the
mobile quarterback, element which The falcons have played a lot
of mobile.
Speaker 2 (25:55):
Quarterbacks of the last couple of.
Speaker 4 (25:57):
Years, right and how many times have we seen that
third and six of a sudden become a new set of.
Downs Jalen walker's closing speed is, insane, Right James pearce's
burst up the, Field he's gonna cut off any type
of a skate route.
Speaker 3 (26:09):
Immediately so this defense just got a lot, faster, faster.
Speaker 1 (26:12):
Yes, Yes so before we wrap it, up, guys let's
just again now that we've kind of talked about both,
players we talked about the trade the move, again so
we WE i think we would all agree that this
defense has gotten. Better, Right and now as we end
up going to day two and day, Three i'm gonna
ask BECAUSE i was put on the spot as far
(26:33):
as where do we go next after this pass rushers was? Addressed,
okay do you guys foresee as we get to this
next pick on day, two is it stayed defense or
does this end up being more?
Speaker 3 (26:44):
Wildcard i'm, going and people may be shocked about. THIS
i am going interior of defensive or offensive. Line, okay,
YES i will say offensive. LINE i think that there
could be some good sinners that may be at that you,
know pick potentially on day. TWO i think there are
(27:04):
some defensive tackles who BECAUSE i still think as much
as you put into this defensive line With Jalen walker
And James Pearce, junior this defensive, FRONT i still think
you need a little bit extra body in the interior
of this defensive. Line AND i would really like to
(27:26):
see a big dude get body of big. Body and
then also the other side of that is okay if
you don't go defensive. Tackle let's SAY i would be
okay with drafting a, center and BECAUSE i want someone
to come in and be this true competition For ryan
Noozl they've said they feel comfortable and confident In Ryan,
(27:47):
noozle AND i agree with. THAT i agree with, That
but you got to think about the future of it,
too AND i think that there are oftentimes a lot
of good sinners that come out of the third. ROUND
i like.
Speaker 1 (28:00):
It, yeah what's your initial?
Speaker 2 (28:02):
THOUGHTS i THINK i agree With.
Speaker 4 (28:05):
TORI i would have felt better about the cornerbacks if
they were staying at forty. SIX i don't really think
that kind of at the tail end of the third,
round that's not. WHERE i like the strength of that position,
group particularly so if you look at the interior of
the defensive, line AND i know who you really, want
you Want Ty robinson out Of. Nebraska he's such a big.
Speaker 3 (28:28):
Dude he's built like a.
Speaker 2 (28:29):
Tree drunk like he literally. Is it's just insane. Movie
he's so.
Speaker 4 (28:33):
Tough, yeah but The Josh farmer is another player out
Of Florida. State, Like i'd be happy with any of
those types of. Players but then, yeah if you can
give me A Jared wilson out Of, georgia, ye like
that would be great as. WELL i would also throw
a wide, receiver you. KNOW i think there's a chance
that if you want to elevate that third receiver fourth receiver,
role however they want to Use Rey, ray that could
be a good spot as. Well so end of the
(28:54):
third round is.
Speaker 1 (28:55):
INTERESTING i was going into this thinking that the three
needs were edge rusher and corner and, linebacker and then
outside of that wide receiver was the next. One for.
ME i just felt like another speed threat on the,
outside somebody to really likes to go defenses to respect the. Speed,
right we Saw Matthew golden get drafted by The packers
(29:16):
today with the blazing. Speed like last year we saw
the same thing by The. Chiefs you pick a Guy
Xavier worthy that can absolutely take the top off the
defense that makes defensive backs defensive coordinators have to think
a little bit differently about their play. Calls so maybe
we'll see if that ends up factoring Into day two
or Even day three for The Atlanta. Falcons but as
(29:37):
we Recap day, One Atlanta falcons get not one but
two first round, picks both coming out of THE. Sec
Jalen walker was the first selection at, fifteen and Then
Atlanta falcons trade back into the first round and they
Get James Pierce junior out Of tennessee to get two
edge rushers for this twenty twenty five draft. Class so,
(29:58):
well we'll see what the the rest of this coaching
staff in front office has in store For day two
And day, three BUT i think we would all three
of us agree that it was a Successful day. One
so thanks for joining us so much here On Atlanta
falcons dot. Com and guess, what we will have so
much more coverage as we continue our way through this
twenty twenty FIVE Nfl. Draft thanks so much for joining.
Speaker 2 (30:18):
Us, everyone
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