Xavier Watts and Billy Bowman will start for the 2025 Atlanta Falcons in Week 1. Watts will operate alongside All-Pro Jessie Bates, offering veteran support and improving backend play. Watts projects as a cerebral defender who can become a ball hawk by relying on instincts and technique. Bowman will handle the slot role solo and plays with relentless grit, physicality, and relentless effort. Preseason tape showed both high energy and moments of over-aggression for Bowman. The team expects rookie mistakes but prioritizes patience, growth, and resilience to determine long-term impact.
Watts will be paired with Jessie Bates, and life is a lot easier when you have an All-Pro by your side. At one point, it looked like Watts would compete with Jordan Fuller for reps, but after the Falcons cut the veteran, all signs pointed to Watts making his regular-season debut as the starting safety. I expect Watts to fare well on the backend. He's a savvy player who can rely on his mind as much as his body.
Grit, effort, and a disregard for human life -Bowman's college tape personified these qualities, and that didn't change during the preseason. Whether it was sprinting into the teeth of the offensive line or on the boundary during punt coverage, Bowman left it all on the field. There are rookie moments where he is almost too out of control, but you will never question his effort, and that can't be said for others behind him in the room.
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