Getty Images The Falcons took an offensive lineman with their original pick, and they traded back into round one to take another offensive lineman. Tackle Kaleb McGary is the newest addition to the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons swung a deal with the Rams to move back into the first night of the draft to add a player who will help to create running lanes, and to protect quarterback Matt Ryan. McGary has said his life is like a country song. He’ll join a team that lived through a country song a few years ago in the Super Bowl, and that really isn’t all that far away from becoming a true contender again in a wide-open NFC South.<doc-sep>The Atlanta Falcons made some major moves to revamp their offensive line Thursday night to open the 2019 NFL Draft, but it came with a cost. After taking Boston College guard Chris Lindstrom with Pick 14, the team waited to see how the rest of the board would shake out before sending their second and third rounders to the Rams to get Pick 31 and Washington tackle Kaleb McGary and an added sixth rounder. The moves add toughness and talent to a positional group in desperate need of some, but it makes for a quiet Friday night as the team now has zero picks until Saturday (when they have a whopping seven). Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff hinted in his post-first round press conference that there’s work left to do. Thomas Dimitroff again alludes to the fact that the Falcons are eyeing a trade-up on Day 2. "We aren't just having a pool party here tomorrow," — Kevin Knight (@FalcoholicKevin) April 26, 2019 If the Falcons really want someone in the third round (the second is all but out of the question unless they trade a player on the roster), they could maybe slide into the bottom of the third (the Rams have two picks late and could want to add more ammo). Getting higher up would take even more draft capital, but maybe it’d be worth it if Atlanta really gets a guy they want. Positions to watch would be cornerback (Houston’s Isaiah Johnson has been bandied about as a guy the team likes, as is Michigan State’s Justin Layne) and pass rusher (Eastern Michigan’s Maxx Crosby is a name to watch). You can look at our draft prospect list to inquire into more. For now, it’ll be a quiet night for the Falcons. They made their waves Thursday and got the guys they wanted, but there is still plenty of possibility in store for a trade up. When you give Dimitroff a bushel of picks, he’s bound to give you some back. We’ll see if he makes another move when the draft picks back up tonight.<doc-sep>If you asked new Falcons guard Chris Lindstrom or tackle Kaleb McGary, they’d probably give Atlanta’s draft an A+ grade after being selected in the first round by Atlanta on Thursday night. Of course, they’re biased. Both were selected higher than they were projected to go, which could skew analysts’ grades of the Falcons’ draft efforts so far. SB Nation’s draft guru, Dan Kadar of Mocking the Draft, for example, gives the Falcons a B- for their selection of Lindstrom at No. 14, and trading back into the first round to take McGary earns the Falcons a C+. Let’s dig in and see what the experts think about the Falcons’ picks on Day 1. Danny Kelly, The Ringer To be clear, Kelly doesn’t HATE the picks. He just doesn’t like the value for these two particular players. Lindstrom: C+ On Lindstrom, Kelly says he is: “... a great fit in Atlanta’s zone blocking scheme and is versatile enough to play all three interior spots, plus maybe even right tackle. This selection just feels really early, especially with linemen like Andre Dillard, Jawaan Taylor, Cody Ford, and Garrett Bradbury—all of whom I had ranked significantly higher—still available.” Still, Kelly thinks Lindstrom has the potential to contribute right away. McGary: C+ McGary earns a C+ also because of value. Kelly says: The former Washington product is as tough as they come, with a well-proportioned frame and plenty of athleticism. The Senior Bowl standout is a nasty run blocker and mirrors well in pass protection on the edge. It’s a bit of a reach per my board (McGary ranked no. 57), so I don’t love the value when paired with the cost to trade up. But the Falcons’ offensive line just got better. Falcons, Round 1: B+ Reuter is looking at the long term for Atlanta. In his words: Lindstrom will be a decade-long starter in the interior for the Falcons. Surprisingly, GM Thomas Dimitroff did not manage to move up for a defensive tackle like Ed Oliver or Christian Wilkins to meet their top need. Lindstrom is a safe pick and an upgrade over the veteran free agents the team signed, but they could have used another difference-maker on defense. Then they picked McGary, who I figured Dimitroff was targeting in the top 45 to replace former starting right tackle Ryan Schraeder. They gave up a third-round pick (No. 79) and gained a sixth-round pick (No. 203) in this deal, which isn’t a terrible price to pay if McGary protects Matt Ryan as an immediate starter. Andy Benoit, The MMQB Chris Lindstrom: A- Benoit points out that the acquisitions of Jamon Brown and James Carpenter in free agency make selecting Lindstrom so high a bit perplexing. But Lindstrom is a better scheme fit, which is key, and he likes the pick. Lindstrom, on the other hand, is dripping with athleticism. He’s expected to be an excellent outside zone blocker, which suggests the Falcons will indeed remain an outside zone running team. Carpenter, though not suited for that system, at least survived in it for many years as a Seahawk. Brown also played in it as a Ram and could be moved to right tackle, a position he played effectively during the 2017 offseason in L.A. The Falcons, who entered this draft with few needs and a ready-to-win-now roster, upgraded at a critical position. Kaleb McGary: B- From Benoit: The Falcons took two first-round offensive linemen in one draft … and that’s after signing a pair of what looked like would-be starting guards in free agency. Assuming this is it for O-line investments, we now know where the Falcons stand (if not going into camp, then likely coming out of it): Chris Lindstrom will be the left guard and Kaleb McGary will be the right tackle, leaving Jamon Brown at right guard and James Carpenter in a somewhat expensive backup role. OK, it all makes sense now, though if you wanted to nitpick, you could say this is a lot put into one part of the roster, given that Atlanta’s four-man pass rush could use a bit of a boost. Mike Tanier, Bleacher Report Chris Lindstrom: C- Tanier says: Lindstrom is an athletic guard who excels on the move. He has the quickness to be an effective pass protector, and he competes past the whistle. He has some leverage and technique issues, including a tendency to lean too far forward, but they can be smoothed out. The Falcons are getting someone who will compete with newcomers Jamon Brown and James Carpenter to immediately start and replace last year’s revolving door at guard. That said, Lindstrom is far from the best player on the board, or even the best interior line prospect (hello, Cody Ford). This is a reach from a team with other needs, particularly on defense. Kaleb McGary: C+ If you haven’t heard McGary’s story, you should read it. Sam Farmer of the LA Times covered it beautifully here. The Cliffs Notes version is a story of a family losing their farm to foreclosure, and while renovating McGary’s grandparents’ home to make it habitable for their family, a fire destroyed the home and one of the RV’s McGary’s family was living in during the renovation process. That’s a lot of adversity for a college kid to face. Tanier says: Sometimes, both writers and NFL evaluators can get carried away with the “he’s overcome adversity” angle and overrate a player because of his personal history. But you know what? I want McGary on my team because of what he endured and how he came out of it with determination, grace and good humor. Plus, he’s 6’7”, 317 pounds, and can play. In fact, I like McGary so much that I’ll go easy on the Falcons for trading up to select him when they have critical defensive needs that must be addressed and higher-upside line prospects are still on the board. But not too easy. Pete Prisco, CBS Sports Chris Lindstrom: B Prisco likes the pick for what it means for Matt Ryan: When Matt Ryan is not protected from the interior, he has real problems. They got a guy that’s going to be a fixture on the interior there for a long time. I think Lindstrom is a feisty guy. Good solid pick by the Falcons. Kaleb McGary: C- Prisco gets the pick was a position of need, but it’s not a sure thing McGary will be a starter. They don’t have a long-term answer at right tackle. Maybe he goes in and plays right tackle next year. The Falcons said they’ve gotta get better on the offensive line. I like this move paired with Lindstrom earlier. Staff, The Falcoholic Did you really think we weren’t going to weigh in with some takes? As you can see, of our five staffers who responded, most give Lindstrom a solid B. I gave this pick a C, and I was the only one. I did so because, although I like the player and his fit in Atlanta’s system, I question the wisdom of investing in two guards in free agency and giving Brandon Fusco guaranteed money if this was the planned direction. The cap situation is already awfully tight, and that’s a lot of money to have locked up in guards with other needs on the roster. For McGary, our staff was a bit more split. Trading back into the first round to select a tackle — which is definitely a position of need after the departure of Ryan Schraeder — is understandable. Jettisoning every Day 2 pick to trade back up and select a tackle whose arms are short for his frame is eerily reminiscent of Sam Baker, and I don’t even really want to talk about that. I hope McGary far exceeds our expectations. Now it’s your turn to weigh in. Grade the picks in our poll below. Poll Grade the Falcons’ selection of Chris Lindstrom at No. 14 This poll is closed 23% A (288 votes) 48% B (590 votes) 18% C (227 votes) 5% D (63 votes) 3% F (38 votes) 0% I (6 votes) 1212 votes total Vote Now<doc-sep>
The Atlanta Falcons first-round draft pick(s) addressed an area of need for the Falcons. The offensive line. The Falcons brought in a guard, Chris Lindstrom, at the 14th pick and a tackle, Kaleb McGary, with the 31st pick, a pick. The Atlanta Falcons traded their 2nd and 3rd round picks to the Rams in exchange for another first rounder. The Falcons added quality players to positions that were in dire need of help. The Falcons are a better team today than the team that was there yesterday. The offseason started with the Falcons bringing in two offensive guards, Jamon Brown and James Carpenter, to solidify the offensive line that plagued the Falcons so much last season. It was assumed by Falcons fans that these two would be the starting offensive guards for the upcoming season. With the drafting of Chris Lindstrom, all of that is now up in the air. Chris Lindstrom, a Boston College senior, was the Falcons first choice of the night. Last season, for BC, Lindstrom started all 12 games at right guard, earning third-team All-American and first-team All-ACC honors for his work. Lindstrom has been described as one of the most athletic linemen in all of the draft. He’s been projected to become a starter as a guard/center in a zone blocking scheme, just like the one the Falcons run. This is a perfect fit for Dan Quinn and Falcons. Kaleb McGary, a Washington senior, was the player the Falcons traded back into the first round to take. McGary played right tackle for his entire career while at Washington. It’s been said McGary could be moved to a guard spot if his lack of athleticism proves to be a problem. McGary’s strengths come from his ability to generate movement in run blocking, an area the Falcons can use all the help they can get. Last night, Dan Quinn stated he intends to player McGary at right tackle. Drafting two offensive linemen in the first round means they will most likely be playing as soon as they show up to Flowery Branch. It was initially thought Jamon Brown and James Carpenter were signed to start at guard. After last night, it seems Brown and Carpenter will be competing for those starting spots we assumed would be theirs. That would mean McGary, the right tackle in college would slide over to one of the guard spots. Brandon Fusco, a player who was signed last offseason to come to start at guard, would be off the team when June cuts come around. Whoever the starters on the offensive line are doesn’t matter. It matters that this team got better with last night’s choices. Thomas Dimitroff, who, in the past, has been wary of drafting offensive lineman in the first round, decided to take a chance on improving this line right now and finding two players who can potentially start for the Falcons for the next 5-8 years. Protecting Matt Ryan, the Falcons biggest investment, and Julio Jones, also a big investment should be priority number one for Dimitroff and Dan Quinn. Drafting these two players gets the Falcons what they need when it comes to the offense. It came at a steep price to move back up but there is no cost too high when it comes to protecting your team’s most important investments.