Ranking Every Atlanta Falcons Starter On Offense

The 2023 Atlanta Falcons offense had one job: improve the 2022 offense enough for Atlanta to be a true playoff contender. In 2022, Atlanta finished 15th in points scored, 19th in EPA/play and 11th in offensive success rate. With the absence of Marcus Mariota and the addition of Desmond Ridder, the Falcons thought they could become an instant playoff contender. Instead, Atlanta’s musical chairs at quarterback have caused the offense to regress to 26th in points scored, 27th in EPA/game play, and 20th in offensive success rate.

We are here again. With a third quarterback to start week one in three years, except this one should have the right effect. Kirk Cousins ​​makes the Falcons the team to beat in the NFC South (-115 odds of winning the division, according to DraftKings Sportsbook). But to make sure, we’re using this exercise to go position by position to find potential weaknesses and identify the most salient strengths for the 2024 iteration of Atlanta’s offense.

Quarterback – Kirk Cousins ​​– B

If we did this exercise in the previous two years, this grade would be no higher than maybe a D+. With Cousins ​​in the mix, there’s a chance that even that solid mark could be seen as underestimating his impact on the Falcons.

The combination of his age and recent injuries drops his grade from a potential A- to a solid B.

Revenant – Bijan Robinson/Tyler Allgeier – A

There simply aren’t many running rooms better than the Falcons and their two-headed monster of Robinson and Allgeier. Bijan gives offensive coordinator Zac Robinson a chess piece to move around, like Christian McCaffrey in San Francisco, while Allgeier gives you that bruised back that has his own big-play potential.

A quarterback’s best friend is an elite running player, and as Cousins ​​gets used to the timing of Robinson’s offense and his receiver’s routes, he gets one of the best cards to get out of prison.

Wide Receiver – Drake London/Darnell Mooney/Rondale Moore – B

Drake London has all the tools to become the main attraction in this passing game, like Cooper Kupp in the Los Angeles Rams offense. Any booking coming out of this room starts with the potential use of Darnell Mooney and Rondale Moore. Mooney is a running savant, but is he just a smaller Z? Will he take representatives from London into the slot? And what about Rondale Moore? He is better used as a gadget player than a pure receiver.

The talent is there, but there are still too many questions surrounding the unit to consider it an impact unit.

Tight End – Kyle Pitts/Charlie Woerner – B+

Kyle Pitts is in the best position he’s been in since late-career Matt Ryan threw him 1,000 yards. He was stretching the field, attacking through the middle and up to the seams. Pitts was allowed to be the Unicorn that he is. With him fully healthy and in a more modern offense, expect Atlanta to feature Pitts as much as possible.

While Pitts has fun in his expanded role, Charlie Woerner will play the traditional tight end role, adding numbers in the running game and occasionally finding himself targets in the red zone.

Left Tackle – Jake Matthews – B

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Matthews is entering his 11th year, as a Falcon. Matthews has held down the blind side of Matt Ryan and other Atlanta quarterbacks over the last few years and has done an outstanding job. While Matthews may never be an elite run blocker, his ability in the passing game makes him a valuable asset along the offensive line.

Left guard – Matthieu Bergeron – C+

Bergeron has all the potential to be as impactful as the All-Pro on the other side of the line (more on that in a minute). As the season progressed, Bergeron continued to improve, leading to a 97.1 efficiency rating over the final five games of the 2023 season, good enough for a top-40 finish. A good start for the now second-year blocker.

Center – Drew Dalman – B-

Drew Dalman continues to be one of the Falcons’ best values ​​as they have one of the best run-blocking centers in the NFL (90.0 PFF grade, 3rd among centers). His pass protection needs work (21 carries allowed, tied for seventh in the NFL), but his athleticism should make him a key part of a running game with a ton of upside in 2024.

Right Guard – Chris Lindstrom – A+

What else needs to be said about Chris Lindstrom?

He is as athletic as they come at the guard position and continues to be one of the most technically sound players we have today. Lindstrom continues to be the standard for the Falcons offensive line and will undoubtedly be the focal point of the Falcons running game this season.

Right Tackle – Kaleb McGary – C

The question mark on this offense is coming to the right tackle position. Kaleb McGary, despite his flashes of good to great play, has been frustratingly inconsistent. There’s still hope that McBary can put everything back together with a more race-focused approach, but this looks like a time where we’ll have to wait and see with McGary.