2025 NFL Draft Notebook

Below is a snapshot of film evaluations on players the Falcons could target with their first two picks in the 2025 NFL Draft. The quarterback evaluations are solely for entertainment purposes!

Quarterbacks

Cam Ward, Miami

Unusual evaluation. Good size (6-2, 219) above average athleticism. Good but not elite arm strength – can make every throw. Changes speeds like an MLB pitcher – can dial it up when needed, but also shows the ability to layer throws and apply touch on wheel routes and corner routes. Has elite anticipation – super elite. Has played exclusively from shotgun, and footwork is a real concern. Mechanics and footwork are all over the place, allowing him to get the ball off quickly and play off-platform, but also affecting accuracy and ball placement. Accuracy overall is still very good, but ball placement could be better. Has a compact ¾ throwing motion that will probably divide some scouts. That arm slot does seem to affect his accuracy on fade routes, which is arguably his weakest throw.

He reads and processes defenses at a high level; also does a lot of work pre-snap. Won’t beat you with his legs, but can escape trouble and pick up occasional first downs. Plays well off-schedule, but this is also where his turnovers occur. Only real wart is also one of his biggest strengths – Hyper-aggressive style that leads to spectacular improvisation, but also some unsightly and untimely turnovers. 

Has all the tools to be a good pro, but gunslinger play style will likely lead to some turnovers and early growing pains. 

Comp: Sam Darnold, Jay Cutler, shades of Steve McNair & Kyler Murray

Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss -

Good size (6-2, 223) athleticism and toughness. Gimmicky offense and high-level weapons makes him hard to evaluate. Threw a ton of  1 v 1 go balls with a high level of success – not very translatable to the NFL. Has consistently good footwork, mechanics, and arm strength. Jack of all trades, master of none. Athletic, but not an elite runner. Accurate, but not a pinpoint passer. Solid, but not great arm strength. Wins with toughness and timely playmaking. Looks like an NFL QB, but success would be HIGHLY dependent on system and supporting cast. 

Comp: Daniel Jones

Shedeur Sanders, Colorado

Accurate with exceptional touch. Tough. Clutch. Holds the ball leading to some unnecessary sacks. Playing behind a turnstyle offensive line hurt his footwork; played frequently under duress leading to more backfoot throws and pocket drift than you'd like to see. 

Occasional lapses in pocket awareness sometimes lead to him stepping into sacks he should be able to avoid. Takes good care of the football, but the ball could come out quicker. Arm strength concerns are real. He has adequate arm strength to make most throws, but he MUST have his feet set. Struggles with deep outside throws. Footwork and throwing mechanics are consistent and polished, but doesn’t have the fastest release. Does not have the toolset to consistently play off-platform.

He’s a polished pocket-passer who looks legitimately elite when the protection holds and the supporting casts do their jobs. He may struggle in a situation where he’s asked to cover up glaring offensive holes and/or carry a unit on his back. 

Comp: Geno Smith, shades of Kirk Cousins, Matt Ryan

EDGE

Shemar Stewart, TAMU 

Inconsistent take off…looks great at times, average at others. Average to pretty good pad level. Doesn’t show much more than a bull rush. Explosive and powerful; his athleticism shows up on film. Stays blocked more than you’d like and doesn’t show educated hands. Plays with good effort. Active and pursues to the ball – will run plays down from behind. When he puts it together on film, it REALLY pops. Show flashes that say top-10, but the overall game film is much more uneven. Great size at 6-5, 267 and tested like a freak at the combine. Production simply doesn't match the tools (4.5 career sacks). A super high-ceiling project that someone will overdraft based of measurables. If he puts it together, the sky is the limit.

Mike Green, Marshall

Plays like a maniac. High motor playmaker that is disruptive in both pass and run game. Has a good bag of pass rush moves and counters – head fakes, educated hands, dekes, spins, etc. Beats double teams with power and effort, pursues like his life depended on it. Elite production. Pad level could be lower. Will sometimes lose contain trying to knife inside pursuing the ball. Cross reads on QBs, but doesn’t always take great angles. His effort to the ball means he is susceptible to misdirection. Could be a bit thicker. Will be a good-to-very good NFL player. 

Comps: Josh Allen, Liatu Latu

James Pearce, UT 

Speed rusher with good first step. Needs more counters and more active hands. More powerful than he looks, but can get swallowed up by size...he’s light. Best when he is stunting and moving. Plays hard. Will sometimes take the path of least resistance and give up gap integrity. Crazy bend that will draw a lot of holding penalties (I’ve seen some scouts question his bend…maybe I’m missing something). Probably fits best as a 3-4 OLB. Size might keep him from being an every down player. Could be good early on as a designated pass rusher.

Comp: Odafe Oweh

Mykel Williams, UGA

Elite size and arm length. Position versatile and scheme versatile. Jack of all trades – good at everything, but not truly elite at anything. I think he’s best as a 4-3 base end that can reduce inside on pass downs. Has average-to-good take off. Good, active, strong hands. Not satisfied with staying blocked, but also not elite at beating blocks. Doesn’t have the bend and burst of elite rushers. Production doesn’t always match level of disruption. Pad level could be lower, but plays with proper technique and gap responsibility. Shares a lot of similarities with Jadeveon Clowney and most other UGA DL. He’s going to be a good player, but he’s probably never going to get you 15 sacks. 

Comps: Jadeveon Clowney, Greg Rousseau

Jalon Walker, UGA

Wins with power, effort, and educated hands. Doesn’t have ideal size, length or takeoff (6-1, 243), but still manages to win a lot. First step is good, but he doesn't profile as a speed rusher despite being undersized. Rushes from any location and has strong, active hands and good pad level.  Very good at finishing in the backfield, and good in pursuit.

Doesn't project as a pure edge, but doesn't have enough high-level off-ball reps to play there exclusively. His off-ball reads can be a bit sluggish, and he needs more experience navigating traffic around the hole. NFL success will largely depend on how he’s deployed. He's simply too disruptive and versatile to pass on, even if his role in the NFL is unclear

Defensive Backs

Will Johnson, Michigan

Lots of reps in zone and off-man. Gets caught flat-footed more than you like. Becomes grabby when he gets in the trail or doesn’t get a clean punch. Technique isn’t as clean as you would. Tackling isn’t terrible, but isn’t great. Not super aggressive and overruns some tackles. Arms are shorter than ideal (30 inches), but doesn’t have elite change-of-direction or make-up speed. Good zone eyes and route recognition and very good ball skills. His super power is getting out of breaks to attack the ball – excellent coming downhill.  A good prospect, but not as clean of an evaluation as Patrick Surtain II or Sauce Gardner. Could thrive in a Cover 3 heavy scheme. Could struggle if placed on an island and asked to win in man every play.  

Comp:

Jahdae Barron, Texas

Productive against elite competition. Well-rounded player with Inside/Outside versatility. Played exclusively in the slot in 2023 and almost exclusively outside in 2024. Consistently wins at the catch point with violent, active hands. Solid tackler that occasionally unloads with surprising pop (but a bit of a head ducker). Played in a zone-heavy scheme at Texas. Has elite eyes, good route recognition, and is very good breaking downhill on the football. Not many reps in man and his man reps are mostly in catch. Biggest concern is less-than-ideal size/length. Should thrive in any zone-heavy scheme. Lower ceiling than Will Johnson but a higher floor, IMO. 

Malaki Starks, UGA

High-level playmaker that lacks elite size & speed. He excels at deep coverage with exceptional range and elite ball skills. If he succeeds at the NFL level, it will be in that role. Route recognition and anticipation are excellent. Film from his junior year was very uneven because he was asked to play a lot of Nickel where he struggled in man versus high-level slot players.

Tackling regressed this year as he struggled with taking good angles. Put together some rough film in big games against Texas and Alabama that exposed some of his athletic limitations. Not as twitchy or explosive as you'd expect. If deployed properly as a deep centerfield eraser, he should thrive at the next level.

Comp: Antoine Winfield, Jr., shades of Jessie Bates.

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