NFL Exec Questions Falcons Paying 'Very Steep Price' for James Pearce in Draft Trade

One NFL executive reportedly believes the Atlanta Falcons paid a "very steep price" to select former University of Tennessee edge rusher James Pearce Jr. with the No. 26 pick of the 2025 NFL draft.

The Falcons sent a package including a 2026 first-round pick to the Los Angeles Rams in order to trade up into the first round and select Pearce.

Atlanta also traded the No. 46 and No. 242 picks of the 2025 draft, while receiving the No. 101 selection in return.

“I don't know how many boards James Pearce was on... maybe they had to get ahead of Kansas City or Philadelphia or another team that might take fliers on character risks,” one NFL executive told The Athletic's Mike Sando. “It just felt like a very steep price to pay for somebody who likely would have been there in Round 2.”

Another executive told Sando: “I’m sure the way they are rationalizing it is, ‘We gave up a first next year to get a first this year, and we basically did that for moving back from the second to the third. If you look at that objectively, it’s not as bad as it sounds. People overlook getting the third back from the Rams as part of the deal.”

Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer reported that the Falcons had gone into the draft planning to use the No. 15 pick to select Pearce if former Georgia linebacker Jalon Walker didn't fall that far. Walker was ultimately still available at the pick.

General manager Terry Fontenot indicated the Falcons would not have traded up had Pearce not been available at No. 26, per ESPN's Marc Raimondi. Falcons assistant general manager Kyle Smith also said after the draft giving up the 2026 first-rounder was worth it to select two potential defensive starters.

"You always need multiple pressure players," Smith said, per AtlantaFalcons.com's Terrin Waack. "If we're going into next year, we were hoping that a Jalon Walker would be there next year, a James Pearce would be there next year, to take another pressure player. Well, this year, we're sitting there and we've got an opportunity, if it works, to take two players from that bucket."

Fontenot used the return from the Pearce deal for another trade up in the third round. The Falcons used the Rams' No. 101 pick, in addition to a 2026 fifth-rounder, to get the Philadelphia Eagles' No. 96 selection and draft former Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts.

The Falcons were previously under scrutiny for the team's handling of the 2024 first round, when the franchise used the No. 8 pick on Michael Penix Jr. before reportedly attempting and failing to trade up for edge rusher Laiatu Latu. Fontenot will hope to see defensive improvements this season in order to back up his decisions in the 2025 draft.