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The Atlanta Falcons enter Week 1 with a big question mark at the left guard position, but head coach Arthur Smith doesn’t seem too worried about it.
Expected starter Josh Andrews landed on injured reserve last week with a broken hand and is set to miss at least six weeks. So, who takes his place?
Next in line is rookie guard Jalen Mayfield.
“I’ve got a lot [of] faith in Jalen (Mayfield),” Smith told reporters Monday, per D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Andrews, 30, most recently played for the New York Jets, appearing in 15 games, before coming to Atlanta.
The Oregon State product originally signed with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2014 and spent three seasons in Philly bouncing back and forth from the practice squad to the 53-man roster.
Following his stint with the Eagles, Andrews spent time with the Minnesota Vikings in 2018. He returned to Philly once again and had a short stint with the Indianapolis Colts’ practice squad before landing with the Jets in 2020.
In five years, Andrews has appeared in 40 games with four starts. He added veteran experience to a fairly young Falcons interior.
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The Falcons Prepare Mayfield for This
Mayfield, who was a third-round draft pick from Michigan this year, worked primarily at tackle during training camp while Kaleb McGary was on the physically unable to perform list.
However, towards the end of camp, he was moved to the guard position once McGary came back.
“It was part of our strategy to get these young guys ready to go,” Smith said via AtlantaFalcons.com. “This is life in the NFL, which is why we mixed and matched. Some of it was out of necessity with Kaleb starting camp on PUP, and we had to cross train some guys.
“…It’s unfortunate what happened to Josh. He has had a good camp, and we think he’ll have a chance to contribute this season. Now it’s an opportunity, and here we go. Jalen needs to be ready to go. It could be somebody else. You have to continue to monitor the waiver wire or look at some of the other guys we’ve got. That’s why we did what we did, and we’ve got to get them ready to go.”
Mayfield, 21, is known for his athleticism, quickness and toughness on the line. He played only 1,000 snaps at right tackle during his three seasons in Ann Harbor after he suffered a high ankle sprain that cut his final year short. In that time span, he appeared in 18 games with 15 starts.
The Falcons Also Have Rookie Drew Dalman
The Falcons also have rookie Drew Dalman, who was a fourth-round pick from Stanford and spent training camp playing at both center and guard. Matt Hennessey won the starting job at center leaving Dalman’s best bet to see the field at a guard spot.
In both the 2019 and 2020 seasons, Dalman started all 18 games at center for Stanford. He earned himself All-Pac-12 honors from different publications while also earning a degree in mechanical engineering and was named team captain his senior year.
Unfortunately, injuries are a part of the game and some rookies will be expected to step up sooner rather than later, lets hope Mayfield and Dalman can both make an immediate impact on a lackluster offensive line.
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