NFL Draft: Why Falcons Have 'Conviction' on Matthew Bergeron

The Atlanta Falcons had just one hole on the offensive line entering the 2023 NFL Draft - left guard - and opted to fill that with Syracuse's Matthew Bergeron. Here's why, through the eyes of Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot and coach Arthur Smith.

The Atlanta Falcons were active in the trade-up market entering the second night of the 2023 NFL Draft and followed through a few picks in.

At pick No. 38, the Falcons moved up with the Indianapolis Colts, sending Nos. 45 and 110 to select Syracuse offensive lineman Matthew Bergeron ... right before two division rivals had the chance.

Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot cited "conviction and passion" as the motives behind his decision to aggressively pursue Bergeron - but why?

A four-year starter and second-team All-ACC selection this past season, the 6-5, 318-pound Bergeron is highly regarded as a run blocker while continuing to improve in the pass blocking phase.

Apart from his redeeming on-field qualities, Bergeron was a team captain and made the athletic director's honor roll six times at Syracuse, proving his commitment, leadership and intellect away from football.

The catch in Bergeron's profile is that he played offensive tackle at Syracuse - first on the right side before drawing 32 consecutive starts at left tackle to close his career.

But with tackles Jake Matthews and Kaleb McGary both under contract for the next three years, Atlanta sees a different role for Bergeron, per coach Arthur Smith.

"We'll start him inside," Smith said. "The vision we have for him now, we like the depth we have and where we're at with the O-line, we can bring him along the right way. ... We've got a clear vision for him, and we're excited about getting him in our program."

The Falcons have a vacancy at left guard after last year's preferred starter, Elijah Wilkinson, signed with the Arizona Cardinals in free agency.

And while Bergeron, 23, hasn't played much guard in-game, he's not entirely new to the position. During Wednesday practice at the Reese's Senior Bowl in early February, he kicked inside to guard and spent the entire session facing some of the draft's top interior defensive linemen.

The result?

"I think it went well," Bergeron said. "I think I was getting better as the day went on. It was an adjustment, but I felt throughout the day I was getting better and better."

The biggest area of adjustment, per Bergeron, was taking more depth in his drops and not jump-setting as he would at tackle. And while it may not have been fully smooth, Bergeron's practice session stood out to Smith and the rest of Atlanta's staff.

"(Bergeron's) got a lot of power in his game," Smith said. "You could see some of that at the Senior Bowl. ... He's wired the right way."

Also of note is that Bergeron, who hails from Victoriaville, Canada, has only played four years of American football but has been around the sport for a decade.

As a kid, Bergeron played hockey - he was a defensemen - and feels as if the balance and body control correlates well to football.

On a broader scale, it's an indication of the versatility that he possesses - in addition to the natural presence of physicality that promises to connect deeply with Smith.

"I think I can play any position on the offensive line," Bergeron said. "I'll do anything to help the Falcons win games and run the ball."

At Syracuse, Bergeron operated a run-heavy wide zone offense, which is exactly what he's walking into with the Falcons, who ranked third league-wide in rushing yards last season at just 160 yards per game and selected running back Bijan Robinson in the first round Thursday night.

The base ideas will be familiar, but the responsibilities may vary - especially upon kicking inside. However, Bergeron remains confident in his ability to play guard, viewing his skill set as beneficial inside as opposed to a hindrance.

"I think it's easier to move from outside to inside," Bergeron said. "Especially when you played your whole life at tackle, moving inside, you've got your cushion - you've got the center, the tackle next to you. If you played tackle in college, you're an athlete.

"Moving inside, using my athletic abilities and my natural strength that I have to compete with those bigger, stronger guys inside, I think it can be an advantage for me."

Perhaps it was the confidence, or maybe the loose persona that drew the Falcons to Bergeron ... but they certainly had many different encounters with him to figure it out.

The two sides met three times - the Senior Bowl, NFL Combine and Syracuse's Pro Day, where offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford made the two-hour flight from Atlanta to attend.

Following Bergeron's strong pro day performance in front of league evaluators, he and Ledford had a "heart-to-heart" conversation that went beyond football.

Sure, there were talks about versatility and how it could help him as a rookie, and Bergeron pitched himself as an aggressive, physical player willing to line up wherever and do whatever is needed.

But Ledford already knew these things. He was well aware that Bergeron was fundamentally sound with his assignments and playbook and was much more focused on getting to know the real individual.

Thus, the "heart-to-heart" moment ... which ultimately led Bergeron to realize that the Falcons were legitimately interested in him.

"We just went deeper than football, talking about life, talking about my family," Bergeron said. "That's when I really thought, 'damn, Atlanta could be a possibility.'"

Smith noted the interaction between Bergeron and Ledford as being an important part of the pre-draft process, during which Atlanta gained a greater sense of the individual it was receiving.

The process led Smith, notedly not a fan of comparisons, to think of a former player of his - veteran guard Rodger Saffold, who he coached with the Tennessee Titans.

Saffold and Bergeron share similar body types and power in Smith's eyes, and the former also converted from tackle to guard, where he's turned into a two-time Pro Bowler.

Both Fontenot and Smith noted Bergeron's intensity and willingness to finish blocks as key traits ... but Atlanta's third-year coach kept going back to the frame.

"It's the way he's built," Smith said. "When a guy is as smart as Matt and the way he's built ... he's big, tough. We feel good about where we're at in our program to develop him."

Bergeron has 33 3/4-inch arms and an 82 3/8-inch wingspan, giving him plenty of length to play tackle if needed, making him different than some college tackles making the transition to guard.

There's also the smarts and instincts of Bergeron, per Smith, that make him particularly intriguing - though he'll still have to "earn his spot" at left guard in training camp.

Nonetheless, the Falcons are confident in what they're getting, and so is Bergeron, who aims to provide a steadying presence on and off the field.

"I feel like I'll bring maturity and consistency and I feel like that's something important," said Bergeron. "I know it's not going to be easy my rookie year, I know I'm going to have some ups and downs - I just want to learn from the vets, from the older guys."

Smith believes the depth of the Falcons' offensive line will create a strong environment for Bergeron to walk into; he's poised to receive competition from 2020 third-round pick and former starting center Matt Hennessy and 2021 third-round pick Jalen Mayfield, among others.

Elsewhere on the line, Matthews and right guard Chris Lindstrom are viewed as franchise leaders and will be valuable resources to Bergeron this summer and beyond.

As Bergeron acknowledged, there will be highs and lows - that's simply how rookie seasons go - but Smith truly values the players who show up with the same personality, same character traits during the dog days of camp ... and that's something Bergeron feels he's adept to handle.

"I feel like I'll come in every day with that same energy to be physical," Bergeron said. "Whether it's the first practice of fall camp, whether it's practice 15 of fall camp and the sun is blazing, I'm going to bring that same energy and the same "wanting" to learn stuff."

Between his versatility, intensity, physicality, athleticism, build and smarts, there's plenty to like about Bergeron ... but for Fontenot, Smith and the rest of Atlanta's staff, there's a better phrase for it: conviction.

And now, that conviction - and passion - has netted a potential long-term solution at left guard and helps further establish the Falcons' identity as a team that aspires to dominate the point of attack.

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You can follow Daniel Flick on Twitter @DFlickDraft

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