I may not have seen it happen live like I did the entire first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, but I did do metaphorical cartwheels in the streets of suburban Phoenix in the lead-up to a backyard wedding when I saw my beloved Atlanta Falcons take former Notre Dame Fighting Irish safety Xavier Watts on Day Two. Watts was one of my favorite defensive players to watch this past college football season.
He comes to Atlanta where he is expected to make an immediate impact on an ascending defense. Watts is effectively replacing the veteran Justin Simmons at safety, playing opposite his idol in Jessie Bates III. Watts' addition to the back-end of Raheem Morris and Jeff Ulbrich's defense is a sight for sore eyes. He joins an ensemble cast featuring Bates, A.J. Terrell, Mike Hughes and Clark Phillips III.
So much has been made about the Falcons' inability to generate a pass rush since ... the Bush Administration, but they are only as good defensively as their secondary and tackling allows them to be. Any time the Falcons have been worth a damn defensively in my adult life, they have been able to stop the run with sound tackling, complemented perfectly by tremendous ballhawks in the back-end.
Watts is the perfect, instinctive player that will see everything unfold right in front of him in Atlanta.
Why Xavier Watts went to the perfect spot for him in the Atlanta Falcons
My favorite thing about watching Watts play was how impactful he was in so many ways starring for Al Golden at Notre Dame. His physical traits may not jump off the page, but he was all over the place defensively for the Golden Domers. Bates may be more athletic than him, but they play eerily similar. I find the budding partnership with one native son of Indiana helping out an adopted one so intriguing.
Besides the fact he gets to play next to his idol Bates, as well as with pro's pros in Hughes and Terrell in the secondary, it is all lining up for Watts to be great in the red and black of the Falcons. Ulbrich may be more of a defensive front-seven guy, but getting a pair of bona-fide pass rushers in Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. will surely help the secondary get the ball back to the offense faster.
The other thing to consider is Morris has coached all over in his career, but he cut his teeth as a defensive back playing at Hofstra back in the day. At the end of the day, you crave players like Watts, hoping that they somehow end up on your team. Barring injury, the only way I see his career not panning out is if his athleticism does not translate to the league itself. Instincts will be the key for him.
Regardless, expect for Watts to turn heads during rookie minicamp and with the Falcons this season.