Falcons trade up to No. 26, take DE James Pearce Jr.

The Falcons moved back into the first round to double down on edge rusher.

Atlanta traded up to the 26th overall pick in order to take former Tennessee Volunteer James Pearce Jr. The Falcons selected Jalon Walker earlier in the first round.

The Falcons had to pay the Rams a heavy price to move back into the first round. They gave up the 46th and 242nd picks in this year's draft as well as their first-round pick in 2026 in order to pick up this pick and the 101st pick.

Pearce had 7.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss last season.

Falcons General Manager Terry Fontenot raised a lot of eyebrows by picking quarterback Michael Penix in the first round last year. This move is another big swing and he may need both to pay off in a big way in 2025 in order to keep making the picks in Atlanta.