Falcons OL Camp Preview: Who Starts at LG?

The biggest question for the Atlanta Falcons' offensive line will be who starts at left guard.

Author:
Harrison Reno
Publish date:
Jul 17, 2023 6:00 AM EDT

In this story:

While quarterback and rookie running back Bijan Robinson will dominate much of the talk surrounding the Atlanta Falcons heading into training camp, don't let the offensive line go under the radar.

After returning four of their five starters from last season, thanks to contract extensions being handed out to right tackle Kaleb McGary and right guard Chris Lindstrom this offseason, the only loss for the Falcons was Elijah Wilkinson. Wilkinson, now a member of the Arizona Cardinals, started in nine games at left guard for the Falcons last season before an injury.

Yet, the decision to ultimately not bring him back turned out to be a concentrated one as the Falcons spent their second-round pick on Syracuse's Matthew Bergeron. Despite playing offensive tackle at the college level, the Falcons plan on moving him inside to guard in hopes of him completing their starting five.

While Bergeron comes out of college with high marks as a run blocker, starting from Day 1 in the NFL isn't that easy. Even though the Falcons spent a premium pick on him, he'll have to earn his spot, competing against Matt Hennessy and Jalen Mayfield.

Hennessy, the fourth-year veteran, played in just three games last season, starting in two. Judging by the grades from Pro Football Focus, Hennessy played well for Atlanta in his three appearances, earning grades of 77 and 79.7 in two of those games, with the season finale versus the Buccaneers grading out at 55.4.

On the other hand, Mayfield didn't feature last fall for the Falcons after missing the entire season due to a back injury. The 2021 third-round pick seems like an outsider to win the starting job at left guard unless he can make drastic improvements from his rookie season, where he led the league in penalties.

That makes Hennessy and Bergeron the favorites to earn the final spot on the offensive line that established themselves as one of the top units in the league at run blocking. The Falcons finished last season with the second-best run game in the league, according to rushing yards per game, while averaging 4.9 yards per carry (sixth-best in the NFL).

With the addition of Robinson to the running back position and stable left guard play, the Falcons are hoping it can help push them over the top in the NFC South as they try to make the playoffs for the first time since 2016.