Falcons accelerate learning curve for Xavier ‘X-Factor’ Watts

The Falcons have accelerated the learning curve for rookie Xavier Watts Jr. in recent days. There’s good reason for that.

They’re trying to improve the position opposite superlative safety Jessie Bates III and, ideally, Watts will be an upgrade.

The Falcons signed veteran Jordan Fuller for a relative pittance after he had a poor season as a Panthers starter in 2024. The Falcons traded up in the draft to select Watts in the third round out of Notre Dame. Fuller is listed as the starter on the team’s depth chart, but Watts is getting plenty of chances to prove he can handle the job.

Watts practiced with the starters during two joint practices with the Tennessee Titans leading up to the exhibition game. He played 33 snaps against during Friday night’s exhibition game Tennessee. Watts finished with two tackles — including one that prevented a 35-yard gain from going even longer — and didn’t appear to make any serious mistakes in coverage or run support.

“I think ‘X-man’ is doing a really good job,” Falcons coach Raheem Morris said after his team’s 23-20 exhibition defeat. “’X’ can handle anything you give him. He’s worked himself (into) excellent shape. He’s done a nice job picking up the defense. He’s done really nice job rotating (with) the first group, the second group.”

Watts has a lot to learn about playing the most mentally demanding position on defense. The bar isn’t very high for him to help improve the safety position for the Falcons. The Falcons didn’t get good production from Justin Simmons in 2024 after signing him for $7.5 million.

To improve the position, the Falcons invested more in the draft than in free agency. They selected Watts with the No. 96 overall pick after moving up by sending the Eagles the No. 101 pick this year and a fifth-round pick next year. The Falcons signed Fuller for $80,000 guaranteed with a $1.17 million base salary.

The expectation is that Watts will be a major contributor this season. He’s competing for playing time with Fuller and DeMarcco Hellams, a former seventh-round pick who started four games for the Falcons in 2023.

“It’s awesome,” Watts said of the competition. “It really requires your best every day. Every day I step into this building, I’m competing not just against my teammates, but against myself as well. The challenge is (for) me to study harder, make my body feel better. It requires a lot. I’m enjoying it.”

Watts has the talent to be a starter. Pro Football Focus rated him as the third-best safety in the draft and 36th player overall. Fuller started for Panthers last season and PFF ranked him 114th out of 171 safeties, with particularly low marks in pass coverage. The Falcons are hoping Fuller can regain the solid form he showed as a Rams starter (he won a Super Bowl in L.A. with Morris as coordinator).

Fuller was in help coverage on Friday when Titans rookie tight end Gunnar Helm caught a 25-yard touchdown pass from Brandon Allen. Falcons defensive lineman Rodney Harrison dropped into coverage and didn’t give Helm much space underneath. But Helm jumped for the high pass and won the ball over Fuller, who was late getting over.

Watts earned high marks for his coverage skills and instincts while playing for Notre Dame. He caught Morris’ attention early during the offseason. Morris said that after meeting seeing how Watts quietly goes about his business, he decided it was best not to “mess up his flow” by giving him too much information.

“Almost treat him, not on a Jessie Bates level, but very similar,” Morris said early in training camp. “Probably what Jessie Bates was like when he was a rookie, when you’re talking about a serious demeanor guy who’s got the ability to be able to play early.”

That’s high praise. Bates is the only defender on the Falcons’ roster to earn a Pro Bowl selection. He’s expressed his admiration for Watts’ game throughout camp.

“I think he’s starting to get comfortable,” Bates said after the first joint practice with the Titans. “He’s starting to actually talk to us in the meeting rooms. Just starting to understand the defense. I think things are starting to slow down for him.

“Sometimes, as a rookie, you kind of second-guess yourself. ‘Do I got it? Do I got it?’ I think he’s really starting to understand what we are trying to do here.”

There’s a lot to understand. Bates said football smarts are important for safeties because they must diagnose offenses on the fly, understand what cornerbacks and nickelbacks need to do and keep everyone calm amid the chaos. All signs point to Watts being able to eventually handle those responsibilities as an NFL starter.