FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — With training camp set to begin next month for the Atlanta Falcons, we're kicking off our preview series that will take a closer look at where each position group stands after the 2026 offseason.
This series will run on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays between the last week of June and July 22, which is one week before the Falcons' first training camp practice is set to take place on July 29. These previews will include any offseason personnel changes, notable stats from the 2025 season and key questions entering training camp.
Up next, the Falcons' offensive line.
Previous installments: Special Teams
OFFENSIVE LINE
Coaches:
- Bill Callahan — Offensive line coach
- Matt Jones — Assistant offensive line coach
- Nick Jones — Assistant offensive line coach
Returning contributors:
- Jake Matthews — Left tackle, 2025 starter
- Chris Lindstrom — Right guard, 2025 starter
- Matthew Bergeron — Left guard, 2025 start
- Ryan Neuzil — Center, 2025 starter
- Kyle Hinton — OL
- Michael Jerrell — OL
Notable newcomers:
- Jawaan Taylor — Tackle
- Wanya Morris — Tackle, Traded from Kansas City
- Ethan Onianwa — Tackle, Drafted
- James Brockermeyer — Center, UDFA
- Corey Levin — Center/Guard
- Andrew Stueber — OL
Rest of the roster:
- Kam Dewberry — Guard, UDFA
- Riley Mahlman — Tackle , UDFA
- Jack Nelson — OL
- Layden Robinson — OL
- Brandon Walton — OL
Unavailable:
- Storm Norton — Tackle, Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform
Offseason departures:
- Kaleb McGary — Right tackle, Retired
- Elijah Wilkinson — Tackle, Arizona
- Jovaughn Gwyn — Center/guard, Baltimore
3 key questions for the Falcons offensive line
1. What's the plan for right tackle?
Going into the 2026 offseason, the right tackle position seemed to be on the up-and-up. Kaleb McGary and Storm Norton were expected to return from their season-ending injuries last season which kept them off the field for the season's entirety. Elijah Wilkinson started 17 games in their absence. The reuniting of these two former starting tackles did not come to pass, however. McGary announced his retirement from the league in early April, while Norton was placed on the Reserve/PUP list in June. This ends Norton's 2026 campaign.
The Falcons front office swiftly took action in the aftermath of both developments. The same day McGary announced his retirement, the Falcons acquired veteran starting tackle Jawaan Taylor on a one-year deal. Taylor has started all 111 games he has appeared in through seven seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars (2019-22) and Kansas City Chiefs (2023-25). The day Norton landed on Reserve/PUP the Falcons executed a trade with the Chiefs to acquire Taylor's backup over the last few years, Wanya Morris.
Through mandatory minicamp, it was third-year Michael Jerrell who was taking a good chunk of the reps with the intended starting group. This is by design, head coach Kevin Stefanski said. Taylor was working through a slight injury with trainers this spring and the Falcons did not want to rush him back. Meanwhile, Morris — having just signed with the team a few weeks ago — is still newer to the group and playbook overall.
"He's doing a very good job," Stefanski said of Taylor last week. "He'll be out. You'll see him at walkthroughs, and he's continuing to be able to do more and more. ... Jawaan's a pro. Very intelligent. He's picking everything up; just not ready yet to do too much."
The expectation is that fans will see a lot more of both former Chiefs linemen come training camp, which means getting to see the Falcons intended new starter and backup at right tackle then, too.
2. What expertise does Bill Callahan bring to an experienced group?
One of the very first things Callahan did when he came on as the Falcons' newest offensive line coach was commend the group and its former leadership. Callahan is well aware that this group — specifically the core four of Jake Matthews, Matthew Bergeron, Ryan Neuzil and Chris Lindstrom — has played a lot of ball together. In fact, last season the Falcons' starting five linemen (including Elijah Wilkinson at right tackle) played 80.4% of the team's offensive snaps, the second-highest percentage in the league. Atlanta also had the second-fewest number of starting combinations on the offensive line.
There's something special about that cohesion and consistency, Callahan said. He also added he has a lot of respect for former position coach Dwayne Ledford, and can see how well-taught this group of linemen is. That's why Callahan's goal is to not re-invent the wheel with this group. It's taking their already firm foundation and tweaking some things as they build up the new offense.
The point here being that this offensive scheme is going to be different than the previous. Stefanski and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees are installing a run game with a good mixture of stretch zone work but also some gap style looks as well. Falcons quarterbacks are also going under center more in 2026 than they did in 2025, which adds a little different wrinkle to timing and footwork across the board, and this includes the offensive line. So, even though this group is exceptionally experienced (both in pure individual starts as well as game reps together), there are still things someone as seasoned and revered as Callahan can teach them.
3. Who emerges as the go-to backup for Ryan Neuzil?
A couple years ago, Neuzil was a UDFA who found his way to Atlanta and earned himself a spot not just on the roster but as Drew Dalman's backup. Dalman was the starter, without question. But in this league, things can change quickly, and they did when Dalman suffered an ankle injury that kept him off the field for a chunk of nine games in 2024. In his place, played Neuzil, and the Falcons offensive line didn't skip a beat with him in place at center.
Last season, Dalman left in free agency and Neuzil became the starting center in his own right. The expectation is for that to remain the case in 2026, but what does competition look like around him? If Neuzil goes down like Dalman did two years ago, who's the Neuzil to Neuzil?
There are a couple candidates. Rookie UDFA James Brockermeyer stood out through rookie minicamp and OTAs this spring. He has a wide breadth of experience at center in the collegiate level, having played in multiple systems at Alabama, TCU and Miami. Then, there's Corey Levin, who has professional game reps at both center and guard. Levin is someone Callahan has history with, as the two crossed paths with the Tennessee Titans. Levin has started seven games over six NFL seasons.
It's these two names to keep in mind as players compete for roster spots this August.
