Falcons Cut Former 7th Round Draft Pick

The Atlanta Falcons cut one of their 2023 draft picks Thursday.

The Atlanta Falcons have released offensive lineman Jovaughn Gwyn. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Falcons' 2023 draft class has lost its first member.

Atlanta released offensive lineman Jovaughn Gwyn on Thursday, it announced in a press release. The Falcons selected Gwyn in the seventh round in 2023, one pick after they drafted safety DeMarcco Hellams.

Gwyn was chosen by Atlanta's previous coaching staff, which included head coach Arthur Smith and offensive coordinator Dave Ragone, each of whom were fired in January. But the staff also consisted of offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford, who remains in the same role with the organization.

Before entering the NFL, Gwyn was a four-year starter at left guard for South Carolina, and he earned second-team All-SEC honors during his senior season in 2022.

He carried a similarly impressive off-field resume with the Gamecocks, as he was a two-time team captain, four-time academic honor roll member and South Carolina Outstanding Student-Athlete award winner.

Yet Gwyn's time in Atlanta ended without much of an opportunity to showcase either.

After making the Falcons' 53-man roster out of training camp last season, Gwyn played in only one game. He saw a singular special teams snap in a Week 14 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was active in three other games but didn't play.

This season saw a similar fate, as Gwyn has spent the entire year on Atlanta's roster but has been a healthy scratch all but twice. His lone appearance came in a Week 8 victory over the Buccaneers, during which he played two snaps on special teams.

The Falcons (6-5) return to action against the Los Angeles Chargers (7-4) at 1 p.m. Sunday inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium.