Disclaimer: The statements and opinions regarding players and/or potential future players in the article below are those of the AtlantaFalcons.com editorial staff and are not of the Atlanta Falcons' football personnel unless noted in a direct quote.
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons have been blessed with consistency along the offensive line the past two seasons. Not a single starter left the fold.
Well, that has already changed in 2025 with the departure of center Drew Dalman to the Chicago Bears in free agency. Ryan Neuzil has been penciled in as Dalman’s replacement, but the change begs a look at the future of the position group overall.
Left tackle Jake Matthews is entering his 12th season with four to go on his deal. Left guard Matthew Bergeron has two years remaining on his rookie contract. The planned future at center has been established, though it should be noted that Neuzil's return has yet to be made official. Right guard Chris Lindstrom is six years into his career and signed through 2028. Right tackle Kaleb McGary becomes a free agent next year after his seventh season.
They're all experienced and have worked well together, which is good for the present. But what if Atlanta has already begun to think of the future?
Below are offensive line prospect options the Falcons could consider on each day of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Day 1
Armand Membou, Missouri (OT)
Membou made four starts as a freshman for the Tigers, earned the starting role as a sophomore and maintained it as a junior. The caveat here is he only ever took snaps at right tackle, so it's unknown how he'd transition to the left side but he's good at what he knows. According to Mizzou’s website, Membou held a grade of 90.4% last season, which ranked third among all Power 4 offensive tackles.
Membou's size has been flagged by experts in both positive and negative ways. His measurements at the 2025 NFL Combine came out at 6-foot-4 and 332 pounds, with a wingspan of 82 inches. While he may be smaller than desired for his position, Membou has displayed great body control. So, looks can be either detrimental or deceitful.
Tyler Booker, Alabama (IOL)
Booker was a five-star recruit out of high school as a tackle, actually. It wasn't until college that he became this force at guard. He rotated at both guard spots in 2022 before starting the Sugar Bowl on the left side – and that stuck. In 2023, Booker became a full-time starter at left guard. He kept that role in 2024, though he did start one game at left tackle. According to Alabama’s website, Booker allowed just half a sack and graded out at a 92.3% last season.
Booker's size, consistency and leadership have been highlighted by experts. He's listed at 6-foot-4 and 321 pounds, with a wingspan of 83 ½ inches, from the 2025 NFL Combine. He only ever missed two games in three years at Alabama. And he was a permanent team captain for the Crimson Tide as a junior. To be fair, many prospects were team captains. Booker, though, has been credited with rallying his Alabama teammates after their shocking loss to Vanderbilt last year.
Pick(s): No. 15 overall
Other Day 1 options: Will Campbell (LSU; OT), Kelvin Banks Jr. (Texas; OT), Grey Zabel (North Dakota State; IOL)
Day 2
Josh Simmons, Ohio State (OT)
Simmons sustained a patellar tendon tear last October that required surgery and ended his final season at Ohio State early. Prior to that, though, he had been playing well enough to earn an All-Big Ten Conference honorable mention by the league's coaches. And now, Simmons is reportedly ahead of schedule in his recovery and expected to be good for the 2025 season.
Simmons is 6-foot-4 and 312 pounds, with a wingspan of 81 1/4 inches. He began his collegiate career at San Diego State, where he started right tackle in 2022 after redshirting 2021. He then transferred to Ohio State in 2023, and that's when he moved to left tackle and found his groove between then and 2024.
Jared Wilson, Georgia (IOL)
Wilson was only a starter for the Bulldogs in 2024, but he did appear in each game in 2023. His workload truly picked up once he moved to center. Because prior to that, he played in just seven games in 2022 and one in 2021 before redshirting. So, he's perhaps more green than preferred when it comes to experience, but he must have showed enough quick improvement between 2023-24 to gain a starting role.
Wilson also crushed it at the 2025 NFL Combine. He led all offensive linemen in the 40-yard dash (4.84 seconds) and mph (21.04, which stands as the fastest ever by a center). He's 6-foot-3 and 310 pounds, with an 80-inch wingspan.
Pick(s): No. 46 overall (Round 2)
Other Day 2 picks: Josh Conerly Jr. (Oregon, OT), Marcus Mbow (Purdue; OT), Charles Grant (William and Mary; OT), Willie Lampkin (North Carolina; IOL), Donovan Jackson (Ohio State; IOL), Tate Ratledge (Georgia, IOL)
Day 3
Hollin Pierce, Rutgers (OT)
Pierce is the largest tackle in this draft class, standing at 6-foot-8 and weighing in 341 pounds during the 2025 NFL Combine. His wingspan of 88 1/4 inches was the largest among all prospects. It's inevitable the 24-year-old gets a double take, both literally and figuratively.
Pierce joined Rutgers as a walk-on in 2020, played every game in 2021, became a full-time starter in 2022 and held that role through 2024. He was nominated twice for the Burlsworth Trophy, which is presented each year to "college football's most outstanding player who began his career as a walk-on." Pierce spent significant time at both right and left tackle, but more so left in his final two seasons.
Jake Majors, Texas (IOL)
Majors solely has center experience, which isn't necessarily a bad thing if that's an area of need but does limit his possible usage. He was a four-year starter at Texas, and two of those years overlapped with Falcons running back Bijan Robinson, who was the No. 8 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Majors was a key part to a Longhorns unit that was also named a finalist for the 2024 Joe Moore Award, given annually to the nation's top offensive line.
Majors checked in at 6-foot-3 and 306 pounds at the 2025 NFL Combine, and he recorded a wingspan of 76 inches. His size has been called adequate but his arms (30 3/8 inches) shorter. Interestingly, Majors is left-handed, just like Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr.
Pick(s): Nos. 118 overall (Round 4), 218 overall (Round 7), 242 overall (Round 7)
Other Day 3 picks: Cameron Williams (Texas; OT), Jack Nelson (Wisconsin, OT), Xavier Truss (Georgia; OT), Garrett Dellinger (LSU; IOL), Hayden Conner (Texas; IOL), Drew Kendall (Boston College, IOL)
