Raheem Morris Sends Message on Falcons Tackle Depth With Kaleb McGary Out

With both McGary and Norton sidelined, backup offensive lineman Elijah Wilkerson received the Morris preseason starter treatment and didn't play in Friday's exhibition season finale. Wilkerson appears to be trending toward starting at right tackle in Week 1.

Morris expressed confidence in the 30-year-old veteran after Friday's game.

"Elijah has played a lot of football in the National Football League. He's played a lot for us. He's been here throughout the course of the last year and the course of this year," Morris said. "And we're fired up to get those guys out there and watch those guys play and compete to see who's going to be able to go out there versus Tampa."

Those "guys" now include players who are hardly household names in Atlanta -- Wilkerson, Jack Nelson, and Brandon Parker.

Falcons Offensive Line Depth to be Tested Without Kaleb McGary

How positive one views McGary's current injury status depends completely on one's definition of the word, "significant." Regardless, as the saying goes, it's next man up at right tackle for the Falcons.

In all liklihood, that's Wilkerson. An undrafted free agent for the Denver Broncos in 2017, Wilkerson is entering his ninth NFL season. He's appearaed in 79 games, making 45 starts. Last season, he made two brief appearances for the Falcons.

However, Wilkerson's last start at right tackle was in 2021. His 18 starts since then have all been at guard.

That's the most recent experience at right tackle the Falcons could have available to them for Week 1.

Morris mentioned 2025 seventh-rounder Jack Nelson and veteran Brandon Parker when asked about the team's tackle depth Friday night. Obviously, as a rookie, Nelson has no NFL regular season experience. Meanwhile, Parker's last start at right tackle was also 2021.

The Falcons have to hope those three linemen did enough developing during the 2025 preseason that one of them will be a competent starter in September.

"The truth is in the guys that we have. We talked about Elijah Wilkerson being able to step out there. We got Jack Nelson significant amount of reps in the preseason. We're able to go out there and get some of those guys all of those things," Morris said. "We got the veteran in Jake Matthews. We know we've got people like [Brandon] Parker who can play for us that's played significant ball in the National Football League.

"And we got to go find a way to win football games, whoever's out there playing for us. So, we look forward to that challenge."

It could be a significant challenge. At least Penix will have more mobility than 37-year-old Kirk Cousins did last season.

But as a left-handed quarterback, Penix will enter the regular season with a major question mark on his blindside.