15. Atlanta Falcons: Mykel Williams, EDGE, Georgia
It’s going to be an offseason full of improving the defense for general manager Terry Fontenot and the Atlanta Falcons in 2025. The Falcons invested a ton in the offense over the last handful of years and the time has come to shift the focus to the defensive side. They’ve got their core players on offense with quarterback Michael Penix Jr. proving himself late in his rookie season, and a plethora of playmakers at his disposal.
The next big domino to fall for this team will be getting a game-sealer off the edge and while that’s a lot to expect from Mykel Williams, he has the traits to be a dominant player at the next level.
Williams had an injury he was dealing with this past season and it affected his play and subsequently NFL Draft stock as a result. Even with his struggles, the talent is evident and his fall in the 2025 NFL Draft could be the Falcons’s gain. They might not have a better scenario realistically available to them than this.
16. Arizona Cardinals: James Pearce Jr., EDGE, Tennessee
The Arizona Cardinals were in the bottom five of the NFL this past season (28th overall) in pass rush win rate according to ESPN’s metrics. We saw them try to address this issue during the year by swinging a trade for former Denver Broncos third-round pick Baron Browning, but that wasn’t the solution, either.
The Cardinals are fortunate in this year’s NFL Draft class because there are a plethora of players who could come in off the edge in this year’s draft and make an instant impact. One of the most obvious candidates is Tennessee’s star pass rusher James Pearce Jr., who was one of the most disruptive players in the nation over the last couple of seasons.
Pearce has a bit of a lean frame off the edge but he has deceptive power. And being a leaner edge player has never really been an issue for Jonathan Gannon’s defenses. He will find a place in his rotation for a guy like this immediately and Pearce could quickly reach 10-plus sacks in this scheme.