The Falcons made a flurry of moves after injuries struck the offensive line, placing center Drew Dalman on IR and signing two others.
The Atlanta Falcons wasted no time addressing their sudden injury concerns on the offensive line, placing center Drew Dalman on injured reserve on Tuesday. Atlanta signed offensive lineman Elijah Wilkinson to the 53-man roster to fill the empty slot. There’s also an unexpected reunion, as former 2020 third-round pick Matt Hennessy was signed to the practice squad.
Dalman, now a three-year veteran, has been a stalwart on the Falcons offensive line since taking over the starting job in 2022. He’s a rare athlete for the position, and his ability as a zone blocker was a core piece of Atlanta’s rushing attack. Dalman will miss at least 4 games on IR, and the earliest he could return would be in Week 8 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Former UDFA Ryan Neuzil went in for Dalman against the Kansas City Chiefs and played 42 snaps, allowing just a single pressure.
It’s apparently reunion season on the offensive line, as the Falcons brought back two former starters in Elijah Wilkinson and Matt Hennessy. Wilkinson is a versatile lineman who has started at both tackle and guard throughout his NFL career. He started nine games at left guard for Atlanta in 2022 before being placed on IR, and signed with the Arizona Cardinals in 2023.
Hennessy was a 2020 third-round pick of the Falcons who started 22 games for the team from 2020-2022. He wound up on IR heading into training camp in 2023, missing the entire season. Hennessy signed with the Eagles this offseason but was released during final cuts.
We hope for a speedy recovery for Dalman and welcome back two former Falcons to the fold.