What we learned in Falcons’ first full-team practice

Rookie check-in: All five of the Falcons’ draft picks were present, but edge rusher Jalon Walker and defensive back Billy Bowman Jr. were the only two who received first-team reps during 11-on-11 work.

Walker was part of a lineup that featured the following players from front to back: defensive linemen David Onyemata, Zach Harrison and Kentavius Street; outside linebacker Khalid Kareem; inside linebacker Kaden Elliss; nickel back Dee Alford; cornerbacks A.J. Terrell Jr. and Mike Hughes; and safeties Jessie Bates III and Jordan Fuller.

The group Bowman ran with was missed, as his elevated rep was only noticed after Morris called out his name in praise. It’s likely Bowman took a rep in Alford’s place since the Falcons have already said the plan is to train Bowman at nickel.

Something interesting and worth keeping an eye on moving forward: Edge rusher James Pearce Jr. did not participate in 11-on-11 work. He was on the sideline, though, and did participate in other position-specific drills.

Safety rotation: Bates holds one of the Falcons’ starting safety spots, but there figures to be competition for his running mate. Fuller and Kevin King rotated opposite of Bates throughout 11-on-11 work.

The Falcons signed Fuller as a free agent this offseason.

King, meanwhile, is entering his second season in Atlanta. King is listed on the roster as a cornerback, which is where most of his NFL experience has been at, but he has a fair amount of safety experience from college.

There are two other safeties to keep in mind as the offseason carries on, too. DeMarcco Hellams suited up for the first time since sustaining an ankle injury during the Falcons’ 2024 preseason opener against the Miami Dolphins. Xavier Watts was drafted by the Falcons in the third round and has “legit field speed and reaction time,” as Falcons senior editor Will McFadden noted at practice. Watts is a player the Falcons expect to make an impact sooner rather than later.

Center present: Although he has yet to officially re-sign with the Falcons, Ryan Neuzil was a full participant in practice. He was, as expected, the starting center during all first-team reps. On his left, per usual, were guard Matthew Bergeron and tackle Jake Matthews. On Neuzil’s right were guard Chris Lindstrom, also per usual, and tackle Storm Norton in place of McGary.

McFadden noted the starting offensive line looked good during 11-on-11…