Last season, the Atlanta Falcons lost starting center Drew Dalman to the injured reserve during a Week 3 loss to the Chiefs. In his absence, fourth-year pro Ryan Neuzil took over as a serviceable replacement during Weeks 3 through 11. Neuzil surrendered only 10 pressures and 1 sack over 346 pass blocking snaps during that stretch, according to PFF. But, following Dalman’s departure in March, when he signed a three-year, $42 million deal with the Bears, the task of protecting second-year quarterback Michael Penix Jr. will fall on Neuzil. As Nick Shook of Around The NFL writes, “the pressure — and spotlight — will be on Neuzil early.”
Neuzil Needs to Improve to ‘Flirt with Dalman’s Consistency’
Earlier this week, Around The NFL’s Nick Shook put together a list of 13 players whose departures “will have the biggest impact on their former teams” in 2025. Among names like Russell Wilson, Joey Bosa and Joe Thuney, Shook lists former Falcons center Drew Dalman as one of the most impactful departures.
Dalman earned the fourth-highest overall PFF grade (78.8) of any center in the league last season, but missed 8 games with a high ankle sprain. Shook points out that when Neuzil stepped in, he “didn’t perform at the same level” as Dalman. The Falcons’ ability to protect quarterback Michael Penix Jr. will be of utmost importance in 2025, as Atlanta will need him to stay healthy if they want him to take a leap during his sophomore season.
“With Michael Penix Jr. entering his first full season as the team’s starting quarterback, having a reliable center becomes even more important,” writes Shook. “Neuzil will need to improve to flirt with Dalman’s consistency, and playing center comes with important responsibilities. Like others on this list, the pressure — and the spotlight — will be on Neuzil early.”
Falcons Feel ‘Really Good and Comfortable’ with Neuzil
According to Daniel Flick of Sports Illustrated’s FanNation, Atlanta Falcons offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford shined a spotlight on Neuzil before the start of rookie minicamp. Flick calls Neuzil “a shining example of the heights possible when effort meets opportunity.”
Ledford praised Neuzil’s work ethic, saying that when he arrived in Atlanta as an undrafted free agent in 2021, “all he did was he kept working at his craft, kept pounding on it” and “now, the dude’s a starting center in the NFL.”
Oddly enough, Neuzil is technically not on the Falcons’ official roster at this point. He entered the offseason as an unrestricted free agent, but Atlanta placed a right-of-first-refusal tag on him in March, and he has not signed his contract sheet yet. According to Atlanta Falcons senior reporter Tori McElhaney, the tag essentially means that “the Falcons can retain Neuzil if they match any offer from another team.”
Flick writes that Falcons leadership “is approaching his situation — and depth chart positioning — as a foregone conclusion.”
“Ledford referred to Neuzil as the starter, as did general manager Terry Fontenot, who said before the 2025 NFL draft Neuzil is a ‘really good player’ and will be replacing previous starter Drew Dalman,” writes Flick.
Despite having just 12 career starts under his belt, Flick praised Neuzil’s performance in 2024, writing that he “proved he could handle the pressure and responsibilities at center.” While he worked with the second team offense to start last season, that also gave him time to work directly and gain comfortability with Michael Penix Jr.
Ledford agreed, saying that “Nothing — nothing — can replicate a game rep.” But Neuzil “was able to check the boxes” that they wanted to see last year, according to Flick.
“The sample size we got to see with him last year with the starts — he got to start a long period there. We felt really good and comfortable with Neuzil,” said Ledford. “I’m excited to see him now, just taking full control now. And just going out there and like, ‘Hey man, go run with it now.'”
Falcons’ $3.2 Million Center Replacement Facing ‘Pressure’ in 2025: Analyst