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Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Falcons First-Round Draft Pick Walker Wearing Historic Franchise Jersey Number For Atlanta
The Atlanta Falcons have recently released jersey numbers that the team's rookies will wear for the upcoming season. The Falcons released the jersey numbers for their five 2025 draft selections on X (formerly Twitter) Wednesday afternoon. James Pearce Jr. will don number 27. The two safeties the Falcons added in the middle rounds of the draft, Xavier Watts and Billy Bowman Jr., will don numbers 31 and 33, respectively. Advertisement Seventh-round draft pick Jack Nelson will wear number 69. For the Falcons UDFA's, the team has released the numbers that they will wear on the team's website. The most popular jersey number being tossed around the rumor mill is the one that Jalon Walker has chosen to wear. He will don the number 11 jersey. Georgia's Jalon Walker's name was displayed when selected by the Atlanta Falcons during the NFL Draft. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Given that Julio Jones once wore that number for Atlanta and will go down as a franchise great, it has caused some concern around the league. It is speculated that one day that particular number will be retired and will be unavailable for Walker to have. No one knows exactly when that day will come, but rest assured, it will. It isn't the first time since Jones left Atlanta that the jersey number has been worn. During the 2023 season, quarterback Logan Woodside wore number 11 for the Falcons. Then last season, quarterback Emory Jones had it. The only difference is that those two players only appeared with it once in a game. Walker will be an every-down player on defense as long as he remains healthy. Advertisement For now, Walker can wear that number with pride, but he may be forced to part with it soon when it hangs in the rafters. Related: Atlanta Falcons Rumored To Be Included In NFL's International Series Related: Atlanta Falcons 53-Man Roster Projection For 2025
New York Times
10-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Falcons set high expectations for rookies, starting with Jalon Walker, James Pearce Jr.
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Julio Jones is not the last Atlanta Falcon to wear No. 11. Quarterback Logan Woodside wore it in 2023, and quarterback Emory Jones wore it in 2024, but neither had the type of production to jeopardize the jersey's association with Jones, a future Hall of Famer and the best wide receiver in team history. Advertisement The man the Falcons hope will be the next impactful No. 11 took the field for the first time Friday as edge rusher Jalon Walker joined 40 other rookies and veteran tryout players for rookie minicamp. 'It's an honor. I take it seriously as much as I can,' Walker said of wearing the famous number. Walker, whom the Falcons picked at No. 15, has worn the number since high school, and the team is hoping he will have the type of career that will result in him one day being remembered alongside Jones at the mention of the jersey number. 'I hate to even talk about him this way, but when you talk to guys like that, you see future captain,' coach Raheem Morris said. 'The team will decide that and he will decide that, but you see it in the makeup.' The Falcons have high expectations not just for Walker but for their entire draft class, most notably the top four picks, which include Walker, edge James Pearce Jr. (pick No. 26), safety Xavier Watts (No. 96) and defensive back Billy Bowman Jr. (No. 118). Atlanta believes all four players can be starters this season, assistant general manager Kyle Smith said. 'Make no mistake about it, we're going to have some real intentionality about playing our rookies this season, getting them on the grass and giving them the opportunity to play a significant amount of football,' Morris said. James Pearce Jr. (27) looks the part. — Josh Kendall (@JoshTheAthletic) May 9, 2025 The rookies arrived at the team's practice facility Thursday and held their only real practice of the rookie minicamp Friday, an hour-long workout that featured individual drills and seven-on-seven work. The young players will join the veterans next week for OTAs. 'This is really just to get the (the rookies) acclimated to how we do things so next week when they're with the vets, they don't slow them down,' Morris said. Advertisement Most of the eyes Friday were on Walker and Pearce, who spent the day side by side in individual drill work. 'There are really no surprises, just glad that the draft process is over with and finally get to work with the team that drafted me,' Pearce said. 'I'm happy to work with James,' Walker said. 'Can't wait to see where our journey starts.' Atlanta's pass-rush problems have been well-chronicled, and Morris said Friday that the offseason emphasis was to get them fixed. The Falcons finished 31st in the league in sacks last season with 31. 'I get beat up all year about not getting sacks, and that's got to change,' Morris said. 'The only way you can change that is to change that. That was part of our process, very intentional, going out and trying to fix the edge room.' The Falcons also added edge rusher Leonard Floyd during free agency and are expecting a fully healthy return for edge rusher Bralen Trice, last year's third-round pick who missed the entire season because of a knee injury. Atlanta's five-person draft class was rated the league's most valuable this year by Sharp Football Analysis, which used a formula comparing every player's projection coming into the draft with their actual draft selection. best value 2025 NFL draft classes 1. Falcons2. Browns3. Cardinals4. Eagles5. Giants6. Chiefs7. Buccaneers8. Steelers9. Ravens10. Bills see pic for 1-32 plus methodology READ FULL ANALYSIS: team-by-team & round-by-round analysis to follow 🧵 — Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) April 26, 2025 'We're not just adding bodies. These are impactful players, every single one of them, that we have a clear vision for, and it worked out,' general manager Terry Fontenot said. 'It doesn't always work out like this, but they fit needs, whether you're talking about the pressure players up front, and obviously, we know the versatility that we have there at the safety position, the nickel position. These are all needs for us, and it worked out that we're able to draft impact players in those spots. It doesn't always work out like that, but we're very excited about that.' Advertisement Watts could end up starting next to Jessie Bates III, while Bowman's role could take time to develop. He is expected to compete for starting nickel snaps but said Friday that he's training at safety as well. 'It's just a good group of guys,' Watts said Friday. 'I have talked to everybody, all just good people overall and we're all good football players. Can't wait to see what happens in the future, just excited to work with them.' (Photo of Jalon Walker: Brynn Anderson / Associated Press)
