Written by Brian Pohl
Atlanta, GA- Day one of the 2019 NFL Draft is finally here, and the Atlanta Falcons entered the first round with the 14th overall pick. Late in the night, however, Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff would make a trade to get back into the first round, making a deal with the Los Angeles Rams for the 31st overall pick. Atlanta would use both first-round picks to boost a major need in their offensive line, taking offensive guard Chris Lindstrom from Boston College with the 14th overall pick, and offensive tackle Kaleb McGary from the University of Washington at 31st overall.
At first glance, both picks seem like reaches by Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff and the rest of the Atlanta front office, as most experts didn’t have Lindstrom or McGary listed as first-round picks in their mock drafts. It was a big need for the Falcons, however, and Dimitroff and his staff have a history of reaching for their guys if they feel confident in the talent, which they seem to have done here with both offensive linemen.
For Lindstrom, Pro Football Focus listed him as the 51st overall player in the 2019 Draft, but the number one overall offensive guard after allowing just four quarterback pressures last season for the Boston College. NFL.com projected Lindstrom as a second-round pick, with a 5.86 prospect grade and a chance to become an NFL starter.
Thomas Dimitroff posted a video reaction after the pick of Chris Lindstrom saying, “Really excited about our first pick, Chris Lindstrom [from] Boston College. Tough, urgent, athletic, will add a dimension to this offensive line that we will really appreciate and we know [the fans] will too.”
Dimitroff and the Falcons will look to slot Lindstrom into the starting right guard spot on the Atlanta, but the pick is interesting as the Falcons signed two guards in James Carpenter and Jamon Brown to multi-years contract during free agency. Atlanta now has some depth on the interior of their offensive line and will try to stabilize the pass protection for Matt Ryan for the 2019 season.
The Falcons have gone to the Boston College well in the first round before, and it worked out pretty decent with franchise quarterback Matt Ryan. The pair of Eagles will try and get the Falcons offense back going in the right direction under new offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter, who is returning for his second stint in Atlanta.
As we reached the end of the first round, Atlanta made a somewhat shocking move of trading back into the first round, as Dimitroff made a move with the LA Rams for the 31st overall pick. In the trade, the Falcons sent their 45th overall pick, as well as their 3rd round pick to the Rams, who in return would send Atlanta the 31st overall pick and a 6th rounder for later in the draft. The Falcons would use their additional first-round pick to grab another offensive lineman in Kaleb McGary, an offensive tackle from the University of Washington.
ProFootball Focus listed McGary as the 65th overall player in the draft, as the 6’7” tackle is a good zone-blocker that will fit well in Atlanta’s scheme. Seen as the tenth best offensive tackle available, this was more of a stretch pick for Atlanta as they traded up to make this move when they might have been able to wait or make another move in day two if they were really set on this pick.
McGary will try and battle for the starting right tackle spot, solidifying the right side of the Atlanta offensive line along with Lindstrom. There are concerns, however, that McGary isn’t athletic enough for this position, and eventually, he may have to make a move inside to the guard spot. If that happens, it makes this move all the more of a headscratcher, as Atlanta has now made too many moves for too few of spots on the interior at this time. Time will tell if that move will be needed, but McGary will get his shot to stick on the outside with such a significant draft pick attached to him.
This is a big draft for Atlanta who are looking to quickly get the team back to the playoffs after missing the post-season in 2018 and will look to fill needs on both the offensive and defensive line with their later picks as the draft continues, and don’t be surprised if Dimitroff tries to make another move to get back into day 2 after moving picks with the Rams.
