Falcons' Arthur Smith Praises O-Line Development: 'Good Ole Group'

The Atlanta Falcons' development along the offensive line had turned the unit into one of the team's biggest strengths.

If there is one area of the Atlanta Falcons that has improved over Arthur Smith's two years as the head coach, it's the offensive line. 

The unit's growth led to them having the No. 2 rushing attack in 2022 and they allowed only allowed 37 sacks, the 12th fewest in the NFL. Atlanta's improvement in the trenches on offense has been a testament to Smith and the offensive line coach, Dwayne Ledford. 

“Good ole group," Smith said. "I mean, really, the entire group. I think Dwayne Ledford has done a phenomenal job. If you look at the depth of guys year over year, guys who have been in our program like Ryan Neuzil, he continues to make strides." 

One player that has made strides this offseason and during training camp is Jalen Mayfield. Mayfield struggled in 2021, allowing the most sacks in the NFL with 11, according to PFF. 

A back injury caused Mayfield to miss the entire 2022 season. Now with Mayfield fully healthy, Smith has noted the third-year offensive lineman's improvement. 

"Jalen Mayfield looks a lot better," Smith said. "It’s good to see and you forget how young Jalen is. He could still potentially be playing at Michigan if he had taken his COVID year, his sixth year. Some of those guys are there forever. He had a lot of growth potential and it’s been encouraging so far." 

Smith added: "There’s been a lot of good development that we’ve seen, really in the entire room, which is a credit to a lot of people in this building.”

If Atlanta's offensive line can continue to be a strength and the skill positions continue to develop, the offense may only be scratching the surface of its potential. 

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