FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons doubled down on their commitment to boosting their pass rush by selecting Georgia linebacker Jalon Walker with the No. 15 pick of the NFL draft, then trading with the Los Angeles Rams to add Tennessee defensive end James Pearce Jr. later in the first round Thursday night.
The three-day draft got underway at Lambeau Field, the home of the Green Bay Packers, and Atlanta was among the teams active in a first round with several trades.
The 6-foot-1, 243-pound Walker won the 2024 Butkus Award as the nation’s best linebacker in college football, and he is viewed as a player with the potential to play a hybrid role in the NFL at both that position and edge rusher. Pearce (6-5, 245), selected with the No. 26 pick, ran the 40-yard dash in 4.47 seconds to rank as the fastest defensive lineman at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis this past winter.
After playing for rival Southeastern Conference programs, Walker and Pearce will soon be united in the bid to boost Atlanta’s pass rush.
“To have an impact defensive player there at 15 and to get back in and get another impact defensive player, both pressure players, two of the better pressure players in the SEC, that’s exciting,” Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot said.