The first Falcons depth chart of 2018 has a few surprises

You know the regular season is right around the corner when depth charts begin hitting these here interwebs. With the first preseason game just a few days away, the Falcons released their first depth chart of the 2018 season.

This is your reminder that the first depth chart RARELY predicts the final, regular season depth chart you’ll see before game one. That won’t stop us from analyzing it and seeing where things stand currently.

There are a few notable wrinkles here for fans to chew on for the next few days.

Offense

The starter at right guard is of keen interest to fans, and right now, Wes Schweitzer is still listed as the starter with Brandon Fusco listed as his backup. Much can change over the next few weeks, but this is one to keep an eye on.

At wide receiver, Russell Gage is 4th on the depth chart behind Mohamed Sanu, Calvin Ridley and Reggie Davis. While Gage is expected to be a special teamer on day one, this still seems a little deeper than anticipated.

Finally, the fullback battle is currently led by Ricky Ortiz, who is listed as the starting fullback ahead of Luke McNitt.

Defense

Fans hoping for a Vic Beasley / Takkarist McKinley combo at defensive end will love this depth chart, as both guys are listed as starters. In the middle, veteran defensive tackle Terrell McClain is listed as the starter next to Grady Jarrett, with rookie Deadrin Senat listed as McClain’s backup.

At linebacker, the starters aren’t surprising, but late round pick Foye Oluokun is listed as the direct backup to De’Vondre Campbell. He’s had a pretty impressive camp so far, so this bears watching.

Everything else on the depth chart is as it should be. What are your thoughts on some of these semi-surprising alignments?