2019 NFL Draft: Fixing one pick for each NFC South team

Atlanta Falcons 2019 NFL Draft Picks:

Round 1 (14): Chris Lindstrom, OG, Boston College
Round 1 (31): Kaleb McGary, OT, Washington
Round 4 (111): Kendall Sheffield, CB, Ohio State
Round 4 (135): John Cominsky, DE, Charleston
Round 5 (152): Qadree Ollison, RB, Pittsburgh
Round 5 (172): Jordan Miller, CB, Washington
Round 6 (203): Marcus Green, WR, Louisiana-Monroe

Falcons select Cody Ford, OL, Oklahoma instead of Kaleb McGary

The Atlanta Falcons had an interesting showing in the 2019 NFL Draft. Their selection of offensive guard Chris Lindstrom was considered a reach by most, but he is a talented player who fits their offense extremely well. The Falcons then traded back into the first round to take offensive tackle Kaleb McGary at number 31.

The offensive line was a clear need for the Falcons and they did not hold back from addressing it. That being said, I am not sure that they got the most out of their top two picks.

McGary is an interesting prospect who has some nice upside at the next level. However, McGary is a power-based player who does not move particularly well up front. Simply put, he is an odd fit for the Falcons’ zone-based rushing attack. On top of that, he was not even the best offensive lineman available at the time of selection. That would have been Cody Ford.

Similarly to McGary, Ford is more of a power-based player. His impact at the point of attack is impressive as a run blocker, but his quickness up front is also impressive. He may not be a perfect fit for a zone rushing scheme, but he is undoubtedly a better fit than McGary. He is also a better offensive lineman.

Taking Ford to be their starting right tackle would have made much more sense than bringing McGary into the mix.