Report: Atlanta Falcons offensive linemen are among oldest in the NFL

The Atlanta Falcons will have to prioritize during the 2016 NFL Draft. While the consensus is that the Falcons will focus on defense, we also know that they could and should think about improving the interior of their offensive line.

Thomas Dimitroff did what he could last offseason, overhauling the offensive line to facilitate a quick, relatively painless transition to Kyle Shanahan's zone blocking scheme. That transition undoubtedly improved the Falcons' running game, but poor pass protection often left the offense exposed and Matt Ryan on his tuchus.

So what gives? Well, here's an idea: on a snap-adjusted basis, the Falcons had the 7th oldest offensive line in the league last season. In other words, they relied heavily on veterans. As you know, it showed. These veterans were replacement level guys at best. That's just not good enough.

So all that said, I'm going to reiterate the obvious, hoping Dimitroff will read this and take note. Getting younger and better along the offensive front needs to be a priority. Sure, the Falcons have two above-average tackles in Jake Matthews and Ryan Schraeder. But beyond that, it's an utter disaster. There are developmental players, backups, and shenanigans. Shenanigans, I say! Your thoughts?