Falcons to Start Drew Dalman at Center in 2023?

The Atlanta Falcons have several questions to answer and holes to fill this offseason - and one of them sort of goes hand-in-hand: will they stick with Drew Dalman at center?

Dalman, a fourth-round draft pick out of Stanford in 2021, played in all 17 games his rookie season but only played sparingly on offense. He ascended into the starting role this past season after beating out incumbent Matt Hennessy during a competition that spanned the entire offseason.

The results were largely mixed - Dalman proved he could command the offensive line, didn't allow a sack and showed the quickness and hip fluidity needed to operate inside coach Arthur Smith's zone offense, but struggled with the consistency of his snaps and was called for nine penalties, fourth most in the NFL.

Dalman finished the season with a Pro Football Focus grade of 65.9, including 69.5 as a run blocker but only 55.1 in pass protection.

So, did he do enough to stake his claim as the starting center for next season? Let's review several factors ...

The biggest key to making this decision is understanding what exactly Smith wants in his centers. During training camp last year, Atlanta's now-third year coach stressed command and physical traits while also referencing the ability to anchor the middle of the line.

Smith particularly singled out the impact of three centers - former Falcons Todd McClure and Alex Mack and a player he coached with the Tennessee Titans in Ben Jones. Each of these players helped set a tone up front with the way they operated and were beneficial for those around them.

Consider further that Smith noted the impact of having a commanding center as it relates to young quarterbacks and there's a real vision forming.

"(Former Falcons quarterback) Matt (Ryan) will tell you this, when he was a young player, having that veteran center (McClure) and a guy who had command, that helps," Smith said.

So, point No. 2 - Dalman is beneficial for Desmond Ridder, Atlanta's third-round pick in 2022 who's in contention to start under center next season.

The snap problems didn't necessarily stop when Ridder took over for Marcus Mariota in Week 15, but offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford saw legitimate chemistry forming between signal caller and center.

"It's always a little bit different the way they communicate, but there has to be a great understanding between the two of them and that takes reps together," Ledford said. "That takes working together and you see Des and Drew constantly talking. You see them at practice, always. They're together a lot. You see them working out the things they need to work out."

Ledford added that the additional work included things like cadence and communication against certain pressure packages, with the end result being the duo "maturing together ... each week."

Of course, this particular relationship doesn't matter if the Falcons opt for an alternative option to Ridder, but the fact that Dalman has shown the ability to be this consistently improving, quarterback-helping presence inside is surely a positive in the eyes of Smith, Ledford and the rest of Atlanta's coaching staff.

But how does Smith feel about Dalman? Here's what he said about the 24-year-old prior to the end of the season ...

"Made a lot of progress," Smith said. "It was his first year starting in the NFL at center, at a critical position for us and for most offenses around the league. He's the guy that touches the ball first on every play, sets the table for us in a lot of things. I thought he really stabilized in there, and like a lot of players, there's some things we'll look to improve on, but Drew had a pretty productive first year starting."

The one constant among both Smith and Ledford's statements is that Dalman substantially improved throughout the season; as a Day 3 pick who didn't get much live offensive action, there were expected to be growing pains - the test was going to be how much growth he could make across the 17-game slate.

And from the looks of it, Dalman passed that specific test.

One final factor is the financial situation Atlanta finds itself in. Equipped with the second-most cap space at $56 million, the Falcons have plenty of money to improve the roster.

So, should they use that money on an evolving player with a cap hit of only $1.1 million?

One could argue that since center is a "critical position" for Smith's offense, it's worth it if there's a clear upgrade ... but for the Falcons to get back into postseason contention, they need development from young players, and this is a prime opportunity to allow Dalman to do exactly that, as he did the entirety of this past season.

Ultimately, Dalman didn't necessarily slam the door shut on the starting center role moving forward - but he certainly did enough to provide confidence to his coaches, and when adding in the maturation, command and financial value he presents, the odds are high that he's back in the position next season.