New Falcons DT David Onyemata Reflects on Matchups vs. 'High Level' Chris Lindstrom

David Onyemata, formerly of the New Orleans Saints, faced Atlanta Falcons right guard Chris Lindstrom several times - and delivered a telling statement on his talent and ability.

New Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle David Onyemata has many teammate introductions ahead after signing a three-year contract in free agency ... but he's quite familiar with some already.

After spending seven years with Atlanta's NFC South rival New Orleans Saints, Onyemata's had plenty of game action against the Falcons - 14, to be exact.

During that time, he's seen a lot of Falcons right guard Chris Lindstrom ... and offered an assessment of what he's seen, in addition to his excitement level surrounding future practice battles.

"I got to play him a couple times, played him last year, and you can just tell, he's a player who's, over the years, got better and been playing at a high level," Onyemata said. "Like last year, the season he put together, he locked it down. 

"Getting to practice against Chris on the daily, I think that will be great."

The 30-year-old Onyemata was one of the better interior pressure players in the NFL this past season, getting to the quarterback on 10 percent of his rushes - but in two games against Lindstrom's Falcons, he had only five tackles and no quarterback hits, though he did generate a tackle for loss.

Onyemata was far from the only player who had difficulties with Lindstrom, who was named second-team All-Pro and voted to his first Pro Bowl after being rated as Pro Football Focus' top-ranked player league-wide.

The Falcons rewarded Lindstrom's strong campaign by making him the highest-paid offensive guard in NFL history at $21 million annually, keeping him in Atlanta through the 2028 season.

Lindstrom, 26, was the Falcons' Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee in 2022, proving his value extends far beyond the football field.

But on the gridiron, Lindstrom is poised to help Onyemata and the rest of Atlanta's defensive line throughout offseason programs, giving the unit a "daily" look at one of the league's best interior offensive linemen.

And in an ideal world, it fosters a "high level" of play throughout the trenches on both sides of the ball.

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You can follow Daniel Flick on Twitter @DFlickDraft

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