Pro Football Focus: Atlanta Falcons have 6th best offensive line headed into 2017 season

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan has received a lot of attention over the past six months. He was named the NFL’s Most Valuable Player. He was ranked #10 in NFL Network’s Top 100 by his peers. He took his team to the biggest stage and almost brought the Lombardi to Atlanta. In short, he’s been way more productive than me since Christmas.

Let’s be clear, most of Ryan’s body of work last season was based on his own skill, grit, and leadership. He absolutely deserves all the credit he’s received. But we’ve also got to give his offensive line some credit. Hopefully they continue to have his back going forward. What’s more, we’re hoping Jake Matthews takes a step forward and we’re hoping Ben Garland or Wes Schweitzer can play at replacement level.

So how does the Falcons offensive line measure up headed into the 2017 season? Well, according to Pro Football Focus, they are the NFL’s 6th best offensive line.

6. Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons finished as our sixth-ranked offensive line a season ago and they’ve replaced by far their biggest issue in right guard Chris Chester. The only problem is that there is no guarantee that Wes Schweitzer or Ben Garland will prove to be an upgrade.

This isn’t the most in-depth analysis or rationale on PFF’s part, but they’re probably spot on. The Falcons believed they could replicate Chris Chester’s production with internal options. The risk of that gamble won’t be apparent for a couple months, but odds are it works out. Let’s be honest, mid-bender Dave could probably resemble a competent offensive lineman while standing between Alex Mack and Ryan Schraeder.

Your thoughts?