A few months ago, Terry Fontenot's draft-day choice to trade the Atlanta Falcons' 2026 first-round pick to the Rams looked like a disaster. James Pearce Jr., whom Atlanta selected, got off to a shaky start and their pick was poised to land in the top 10, but a lot has changed across the last few weeks.
Pearce has broken out across the last two months, while third-round safety Xavier Watts, who also landed with the Dirty Birds because of the polarizing trade, has also been sensational. So despite the loss of a premium draft pick, the trade helped Jeff Ulbrich's defense land two franchise cornerstones.