Atlanta Falcons Full Position Breakdown & Depth-Chart Analysis at Offensive Line

When it comes to the Atlanta Falcons offensive line, health is just as important as the talent up front. Don't get me wrong—there is a ton of talent up front that hasn't come close to reaching its potential yet. The entire offensive line is very athletic and should fit well in the new scheme.

The Falcons will undergo a wholesale scheme change from a trap- and man-style blocking scheme to a pure zone-style blocking scheme with cut blocks on the backside under offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan. The personnel fits a zone scheme much better than it did the man scheme that Mike Tice ran in 2014.

Jake Matthews

Jeff Haynes/Associated Press

Role: Starting Left Tackle

The Falcons' most athletic, best pass-blocking offensive tackle is Jake Matthews, the 2014 first-round pick out of Texas A&M. He showed as a rookie that when he's healthy, he's one of the best pass-blockers in the NFC. However, as a rookie, his injuries were a hindrance most of the year.

He needs to recover fully in 2015 and show that he can do the same kinds of things that he showed in the preseason and in college. Matthews is an ideal fit at left tackle for the offense with his build (6'5", 305 lbs), quickness and strength and should show that he can both run and pass block more effectively as a second-year pro.

Chris Chester

Patrick Semansky/Associated Press

Role: Starting Left Guard

After getting cut by the Washington football team, Chris Chester needed a fresh start with a new team. According to ESPN's Adam Caplan (via Bleeding Green Nation's Brandon Lee Gowton), Philadelphia originally looked into him, but he wound up with Atlanta likely after realizing he wasn't going to start with the Eagles. He should be the Falcons' starter at left guard easily.

He's an ideal scheme fit and didn't really fit with what the Washington team was doing under head coach Jay Gruden. He should be able to perform for the Falcons under Kyle Shanahan's zone-blocking scheme like he did in Baltimore for the Ravens and will be easily better than Peter Konz or whoever else goes against him.

Joe Hawley

Michael Conroy/Associated Press

Role: Starting Center

NFL center is the most important position along the offensive line. If you don't have a good center, your team is probably done for. The Falcons offense fell apart the minute that Joe Hawley went down for the season. Atlanta's drop-off in points alone went from 32.8 per game to 20.8 when he got hurt.

The offense also went from averaging 322 passing yards and 122 rushing yards per game to 272 passing yards and 84 rushing yards per game. The overall loss of 88 yards of offense every game caused the Falcons to drop four in a row right after Hawley's injury. With his health in 2015, Hawley should start again.

Jon Asamoah

Brynn Anderson/Associated Press

Role: Starting Right Guard

After years and years of horrible play from the right guard after the Falcons let Harvey Dahl go in 2010, Atlanta finally went out and signed a quality player to man the position in Jon Asamoah. His five-year, $22.5 million contract signed in 2014 is looking like a good value right now.

He should be even better in the zone scheme. He did well in a pull-and-trap-style scheme under Mike Tice in 2014 but was solid in a zone-style scheme run by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2013 and prior to that. The only real question that he might have comes from his adjustment to cut blocking in the Shanahan-style scheme.

Ryan Schraeder

Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press

Role: Starting Right Tackle

Ryan Schraeder is one of the best stories out there for never giving up on his dream. He has a basketball background, and it shows in his footwork in pass blocking. Athletically, he's comparable to Jake Matthews and has a frame that is the prototype for zone-blocking offensive tackles.

In 2014, Schraeder (6'7", 300 lbs) looked like he had the potential to be a top-10 right tackle in the NFL with an excellent year. He did have a bit of a hiccup against Charles Johnson in the final game of the season. He should recover well and learn how to be a great pass-blocker for the Falcons in future seasons. 

Tyler Polumbus

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

Role: Competing for the Swing Tackle Role

After failing to look competent in Washington under Kyle Shanahan, Polumbus is getting another shot to compete for a role in Atlanta. Unfortunately, he might win the job as a swing tackle over Lamar Holmes because of his higher level of athleticism and better scheme fit.

However, this would be a bad situation for the Falcons, as Polumbus is one of the worst offensive tackles in the NFL and should be cut by the time training camp ends. Hopefully, the Falcons realize this and keep Holmes instead of the mediocre Polumbus.

Lamar Holmes

Jeff Haynes/Associated Press

Role: Competing for the Swing Tackle Role

Lamar Holmes is a big dude (6'6", 333 lbs). But he's lost quite a bit of weight in order to try to make the roster under new head coach Dan Quinn and new coordinator Kyle Shanahan. In 2014, Holmes looked like a competent right tackle in Mike Tice's scheme.

However, the zone scheme will rely on him to be more than an average pass-blocker on the field. He'll need to show that he can understand angles and cuts to have a shot as the swing tackle. He has the athleticism to succeed in the scheme similar to how George Foster did, though.

Mike Person

Tom Gannam/Associated Press

Role: Competing for the Game-Day Guard/Center Role

When it comes to important game-day backups, Mike Person (6'4", 300 lbs) is looking like he'll be one of the most important ones. He doesn't have much experience in the NFL, as he's only played a total of 66 snaps in his career during the regular season.

However, he did spend four years on a St. Louis Rams roster that used him in practice as depth along multiple positions. He's a quicker, stronger guard too who can slide inside to center if need be or even outside to tackle if the situation calls for it.

Peter Konz

Nick Wass/Associated Press

Role: Competing for the Game-Day Guard/Center Role

Another person competing for the game-day guard/center role is Peter Konz. He's been a mediocre NFL player throughout his short career and has looked much better at guard than at center. However, he could be facing a situation where he doesn't play for Atlanta in 2015.

He'll have to beat out a quality group of reserve linemen talents including James Stone, Mike Person, Valerian Ume-Ezeoke, Adam Replogle and Jared Smith. Should he show that's he's one of the top two from that group, he might be worth keeping—for 2015 depth at least.

James Stone

Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press

Role: Competing for the Game-Day Guard/Center Role

Another player who is competing for his NFL career is James Stone. Despite starting the last nine games of the season, he was arguably one of the worst centers in the NFL as a rookie. He did provide better play than Peter Konz did, but that's not asking for much.

Stone does fit better in the zone scheme than Peter Konz does, so he should have a leg up on the former second-round pick in terms of earning a roster spot. But Stone shouldn't see the field much if the Falcons are 100 percent healthy, as he's just not that good.

Harland Gunn

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Role: Competing for a Roster Spot

Harland Gunn has been with the Falcons for a few years now as a reserve. He's not a great fit for the old scheme under Mike Tice and should see some more success under Kyle Shanahan. However, he is fighting for a roster spot and may not make it because of the talent infusion this year.

Jake Rodgers

Ted S. Warren/Associated Press

Role: Competing for a Roster Spot

Jake Rodgers was the Falcons' seventh-round pick. If this was the old regime, he'd be guaranteed a roster spot. But under head coach Dan Quinn, who knows what will really happen with late picks? Rodgers should be able to compete for a developmental reserve tackle role at the very least.

Valerian Ume-Ezeoke

Role: Competing for a Roster Spot

The dark horse of the entire undrafted free-agent class is Valerian Ume-Ezeoke. He's a talented center who makes good line calls and could develop into a key reserve under the Shanahan scheme. He'll have to beat out both Peter Konz and James Stone for a roster spot, though. He's a good practice squad candidate.

Adam Replogle

Dave Martin/Associated Press

Role: Competing for a Roster Spot

How in the world is Adam Replogle still on the Falcons roster? He's not a great fit as an offensive guard, and he played his best football when he was on the defensive side of the ball. He is a likely camp body who won't see much playing time in preseason barring injury.

Jared Smith

Elaine Thompson/Associated Press

Role: Competing for a Roster Spot

Jared Smith is another positional conversion. Unlike Adam Replogle, he's a great athlete who has had at least some experience on the offensive line. Smith will compete for a spot, but at this point, he doesn't look like he'll make it out of camp.

Matt Huffer

Ryan Kang/Associated Press

Role: Competing for a Roster Spot

Matt Huffer is a unique situation. There's not much film on him out there, but in what could be seen, he looks like a solid pass-blocker. As a run-blocker, he needs a lot of work. But there's potential to be developed here, and he could be a long-term solution as a swing tackle.

Eric Lefeld

TOM UHLMAN/Associated Press

Role: Competing for a Roster Spot

Eric Lefeld is probably a better football player than Jake Rodgers is. He's just buried on the depth chart. If he can earn his roster spot this year, it will likely be on the practice squad. Otherwise, we'll see him play for another team in 2015 and beyond.

All stats used are from Pro Football Focus' Premium Stats, ESPN.com, CFBStats or NFL.com. All combine and pro-day info are courtesy of NFLDraftScout.com. All contract information is courtesy of Spotrac.

Scott Carasik is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. He covers the Atlanta Falcons, college football, the NFL and the NFL draft. He's also the Featured Draft Analyst for Pro Football Spot.

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