I'm sorry, what? Atlanta dealt a future first-rounder to move up from No. 46 to No. 26? For James Pearce Jr.? There's no way to spin it: This is a poor team-building choice, plain and simple.
It's not that the Falcons couldn't use a second pass rusher (they drafted Jalon Walker at pick No. 15). It's that they surrendered what could end up being a ton of draft capital.
Also, it's hard to argue there was a tier drop at edge after Pearce. Mike Green and Donovan Ezeiruaku are still on the board entering Round 2. It sure doesn't seem as if the Falcons needed to pay a premium for Pearce. Think about what a first-round pick can net a team in the veteran trade market. Now compare that simply to the difference between Pearce and the player the Falcons could have had at 46.
