Injuries have created an interesting competition at right tackle for the Falcons during this year's training camp and some of the contestants in this year's battle have come from unique places.
Competing with Lamar Holmes at right tackle is undrafted Ryan Schraeder, a name most Falcons fans are familiar with by now. He played 59 percent of the snaps last week against the Bengals and filled in at both left and right tackle. After the game, we learned that he played primarily on the left side in college and now he's cross-training to learn both sides of the line.
On Tuesday, we learned something else about the former Valdosta State Blazer.
Offensive line coach Pat Hill said the 6-foot-7 tackle hasn't always been so big. In fact, the 300-pound Schraeder was only 5-foot-9 as a junior in high school.
To make Schraeder an even more unlikely-candidate-turned-great-camp-story is he didn't play high school football. It wasn't until Schraeder was seen playing basketball as a regular student at Kansas State did his football career begin. Once Schraeder realized football was a possiblility, he began to pursue the sport at Butler Community College in Kansas.
Schraeder was among a trio of offensive tackles the Falcons brought in following the draft. Head coach Mike Smith has repeatedly said he's excited about those young and large players. Schraeder is currently listed as the top backup to left tackle Sam Baker on the team's depth chart.
