FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — For the second straight year, the Atlanta Falcons were one of the most talked about teams coming out of Day 1 of the NFL draft.

This time, however, the reaction wasn't so much about who they selected as much as it was how they selected him.

The Falcons traded their first-round pick in 2026 as well as their second-round pick (No. 46 overall) and a seventh-round pick (No. 242) in this year's draft to move up to pick No. 26 and select edge rusher James Pearce Jr. out of the University of Tennessee. From Atlanta's perspective, and counter to the public reaction, the picks given up were worth the player attained.

"You know with trades it always gets to that point where you have to weigh out what you're actually doing and what you're doing it for," Falcons general

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