Leap Year: Why Does Coach Arthur Smith Believe in Falcons O-Lineman Jalen Mayfield?

Atlanta Falcons rookie Jalen Mayfield has been one of the worst offensive linemen in the NFL, but there's reason to believe he can get much, much better.

The Atlanta Falcons drafted offensive lineman Jalen Mayfield out of Michigan with their third-round pick in April's NFL Draft.

A raw prospect, Mayfield played in just 18 games for the Wolverines with 15 starts at right tackle. He was taken by the Falcons with the thought he would provide depth and competition for Kaleb McGary at right tackle.

Early injuries to the Falcons offensive line including projected starting guard Josh Andrews and key reserve Matt Gano helped push Mayfield into a starting position at left guard probably earlier than the Falcons would have liked.

Pro Football Focus (PFF) has graded Mayfield as the 75th guard out of 80 players who have played enough snaps to be eligible for ranking, but head coach Arthur Smith likes the progress he's seen from the 21-year old.

"I think week after week, he's gotten better," said Smith. "Certainly, some weeks present maybe some more difficult matchups for him. But I think he's handled it. … I think it's a tough job for a rookie to go in there and start on the offensive line and he's been consistent."

Smith added: “A lot of players, certainly rookies, there’s areas to improve. … If you look at the whole body of work, he’s played decently well. …   He’s a young guy. You would think he would have a pretty good jump in Year 2.”

Part of that jump will have to do with experience and part with maturity. Mayfield saw a lot of time at right tackle during training camp, but his skill set is better suited for guard.

He started the first game of the season at right tackle for an injured McGary, but has held down the left guard position since Week 2 when McGary returned to the lineup.

Mayfield already has as many starts at the NFL level as he did in college.

"I think certainly in any job, the more reps you get, the better off you should be," said Smith. "What excites me with guys like Jalen and Kyle (Pitts) is they are young."

"A lot of times I think we take a fifth-year senior coming into the league at 24-25 they may not have that big of a jump. They're certainly always exceptions to that but obviously, very optimistic with a guy like Jalen that he can continue to improve and to grow."

Mayfield and McGary have been big holes on the offensive line for the Falcons this season.

McGary is ranked the 64th of 81 eligible offensive tackles by PFF. He is in his third season and turns 27 in February. There's not as much hope for him to make that quantum leap in improvement that there is for the 21-year old Mayfield.

The Falcons need more depth and competition on the interior line, but Mayfield will have a chance in the offseason and preseason to lock down the left guard position while the Falcons will use the draft and free agency to try and upgrade right tackle.

For the Falcons to be legitimate playoff contenders again, the offensive line will have to improve. There's plenty of reason to think Mayfield can do just that as he progresses through his young career.