Falcons Coach Smith Praises 'Tough-Minded' OL Bergeron

Although it's still early in training camp, the Atlanta Falcons like what they are seeing from some members of their 2023 draft class.

For instance, coach Arthur Smith praised rookie offensive lineman Matthew Bergeron for his mental toughness.

“With Matt—guys like him, you like his mindset," Smith said. "He’s a very serious-minded, tough-minded guy. He’s stepped right in there and you certainly don’t feel any nervous energy from him. He’s confident and he’s got a challenge; all of those guys do. The depth and the way that we’re playing up front, it’s been really good work for him, but he’s handled it. There haven’t been very many issues but like all of us, there's things to work on clearly but that’s why we’re out there.”

The confidence of the Syracuse product, as he competes with Matt Hennesey for the starting left guard job, should be an encouraging sign for the Falcons. They cannot afford any drop in performance from their offensive line, given its instrumental role in ranking third-best in the NFL with an average of 159.9 rushing yards per game during the 2022 season.

Additionally, if Bergeron were to secure the starting left guard role, it becomes crucial for him and the rest of the offensive line to be diligent in safeguarding quarterback Desmond Ridder. 

As Ridder enters his first full season as the team's starting signal-caller, the offensive line must prioritize minimizing hits on him to prevent the quarterback from losing confidence early in his young NFL career. 

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