This is a bit roundabout, but stick with me here... a writer at The Athletic used projected starting lines from the OurLads site and the pass protection ratings from PFF. His idea was to show that a lot of teams are depending on strong development from a lot of young linemen this year, particularly at right tackle. But... what should jump out for Falcons fans is that center Matt Hennessy, right tackle Kaleb McGary and left guard Jalen Mayfield were all in the 151-160 range, with Mayfield dead last at #160. (And just for the record, Mayfield wasn't expected to be playing. The team signed Josh Andrews to compete for the LG spot and also had Matt Gono. Both were injured in preseason, and the coaches decided to throw the third round rookie Mayfield into the fire.) I disagree with the analysis. Not the part that Hennessy, McGary and Mayfield were dreadful at pass protection last year - that's obvious. No, the part that I don't believe is the projection that they will be the starters again in 2022. The coaching staff has said there will be competition, and I believe it. For that matter, I'm envisioning competition at a level close to what the team saw in 2008, when Paul Boudreau stepped in as the team's OL coach under new head coach Mike Smith. Jake Matthews and Chris Lindstrom are probably safe, not because anyone is giving them anything but simply because the team doesn't have enough top shelf linemen to take their starting jobs. But everyone else? Three starting jobs and the swing tackle role are up for grabs, and two of the team's stop-gap free agents look like strong contenders. Those free agents are Germain Ifedi and Elijah Wilkinson. Both were with the Bears last season. (Former Chicago GM Ryan Pace is now part of Atlanta's front office, and the team has added several players that had been with Chicago.) Neither had a good year with the Bears in 2021, but both were strong before their arrival in Chicago - particularly Ifedi, who was rated at near Pro Bowl caliber performance by Pro Football Reference (AV in the 8-9 range) three straight years with Seattle. One other twist... both of them arrive in Atlanta with a chip on their shoulders after losing their starting jobs and not being resigned by the Bears. This seems to be the pattern for new GM Terry Fontenot - he's drafting and signing players that feel like they have something to prove when they get on the field. Before anyone jumps in and points out that these are journeymen types rather than instant impact signings (like Alex Mack, for example), keep in mind that it's not like they'll have to be All Galaxy megamonsters to make a difference here. They'll be competing with guys who were among the bottom ten in the entire league in pass protection. Even someone who can be "Just A Guy" can be a significant improvement over the starter from last season. But I do think Ifedi and Wilkinson can take a step above JAG status. Both will be 27 this season - the same age that Tyson Clabo and Harvey Dahl were when they became first time starters in 2008. It seems like they've been around forever, but they're both still on the rise. A potential hurdle is that both have been playing the right side for their entire NFL careers to date. Atlanta has a strong RG in Chris Lindstrom, who has also been at that position since being drafted. The need is at LG, not RG. One interesting scenario would be to move Lindstrom to the left side, pairing him with Jake Matthews as the long time Falcons on the left side with the two ex-Bears on the right. Kaleb McGary would be the leading candidate for the swing tackle role, with Jalen Mayfield joining Colby Gossett, Rick Leonard, Ryan Neuzil and Justin Shaffer in the hunt for the other backup G/T spots.
Good analysis, Torgo, but refresh my memory... did they draft, this year an offensive lineman? Some youngblood might be the key to some healthy competition and depth is huge along the line.
They drafted UGA guard Justin Shaffer late and added tackle Tyler Vrabel (son of Titans head coach Mike Vrabel) as a noteworthy UDFA. I don't expect either of them to be a factor in 2022. (And if I was on the coaching staff, I'd have Vrabel start working immediately on snapping the ball. His future in the NFL is likely somewhere in the interior, not at tackle.) If anything, I'd say last year's line was too young. Even now, Jake Matthews (30) is the only lineman on the team who is older than 27. Last year, third round rookie Mayfield had just turned 22 in May and was pushed into the starting LG role by August. The center next to him (Matt Hennessy) was 23 and also a brand new starter coming out of his first training camp (no offseason program his rookie year due to COVID), and their active backup (Drew Dalman) was another 22 year old rookie. This is why the infusion of experience with Ifedi and Wilkinson should help. Personally, I believe Mayfield would benefit from a year in practice without having to start. Let him work on his technique for a year and then return as a contender to replace Wilkinson as a starter next year - at the ripe old age of 24. More importantly, the free agents will push McGary for that starting RT job. McGary hasn't had serious competition for that spot since he arrived, and he has been such a disappointment after three seasons that the team declined to pick up his fifth year option. I'm hoping that this season suddenly becoming a "contract year" combined with having both Ifedi and Wilkinson in camp will be a wake up call. The centers Dalman and Hennessy will continue to push each other, and I think the experience gained last season plus a second full offseason program will help them both. I was rooting for former Vikings prospect Willie Beavers to make it and potentially be the swing tackle this year. He came close to making Atlanta's roster last year and did stick around the entire season on the practice squad. He was resigned for 2022 but was let go after the draft. Atlanta does still have an ex-Viking in the hunt though. Minnesota 2018 sixth rounder Colby Gossett (Appalachian State) landed here and actually got a start at the end of the season. He'll be 27 when training camp gets underway. He has a strong shot at winning a backup tackle role, especially considering the team did not resign journeyman Jason Spriggs, who held the swing tackle role for most of last year.
