Why Falcons Feel 'Really Good and Comfortable' with Neuzil as Dalman Replacement

When Atlanta Falcons offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford addressed the team before starting rookie minicamp Friday, his mind -- and words -- brought him to Ryan Neuzil.

An undrafted free agent in 2021, Neuzil once sat in a similar position to most of the 42 attendees: Fighting for a job with little leverage in his corner. Four years later, Neuzil is expected to be the Falcons' starting center in 2025.

He's also a shining example of the heights possible when effort meets opportunity.

"He's a guy that came in here as an undrafted free agent, and all he did was he kept working at his craft, kept pounding on it, kept pounding on it," Ledford said Friday. "Now, the dude's a starting center in the NFL. And so, it's quite a story, but it goes to show you just the work he's put into it as well."

There is a catch to Neuzil's status: He isn't officially on the Falcons' roster. Atlanta placed a right-of-first-refusal tag on Neuzil, an unrestricted free agent, in March, and he's yet to sign his contract sheet. With the tag, Neuzil would earn $3.263 million in 2025, according to the NFL. Other teams can make offers, but the Falcons have the right to match.

In essence, while Neuzil isn't currently part of the team, Atlanta is approaching his situation -- and depth chart positioning -- as a foregone conclusion. Ledford referred to Neuzil as the starter, as did general manager Terry Fontenot, who said before the 2025 NFL draft Neuzil is a "really good player" and will be replacing previous starter Drew Dalman.

The Falcons lost Dalman to the Chicago Bears in free agency, as the 2021 fourth-round pick signed a three-year, $42 million contract that made him the second-highest paid center in the league.

Neuzil is no stranger to playing in place of Dalman. He started eight games in 2024 when Dalman went down with an ankle injury and performed admirably, allowing only one sack and 10 total pressures across 346 pass blocking snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.

The 27-year-old Neuzil drew praise from Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson and quarterback Kirk Cousins once Dalman returned, as each noted there wasn't much of a dropoff in performance.

Ledford believes Neuzil, who stands 6' 3" and 301 pounds, has the tools to be a quality starting center for the Falcons.

"I think Neuzil's got a lot of strength," Ledford said. "He may be one of the best athletes on the team. But he's just got a lot of power. He's a very explosive guy, just has a lot of power. At the center position, if you've got the quickness he shows and you need there, along with the power in the middle, it's a good combination to have, and he's shown that."

Neuzil is an athlete off the field, too. Ledford said he plays pickleball and golf, and he's good at both. With a chuckle, Ledford said he has no chance of beating Neuzil on the pickleball court.

"If there's a sport out there, he's good at it," Ledford said. "So, he's a really good athlete, first and foremost."

The Appalachian State University product spent his rookie season in 2021 on the Falcons' practice squad. He debuted Nov. 6, 2022, and has played in 43 consecutive games with 12 career starts.

Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said Neuzil impressed him during practice last summer and into the season, when he worked with now-starting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. on the second-team offense. Neuzil, a left-handed center, and Penix, a left-handed passer, developed continuity in 2024, and Morris feels confident in both starting in 2025.

But Morris also acknowledged the importance of Neuzil's eight-game stint as a starter in creating definite confidence within Atlanta's coaching staff, which ultimately eased the decision to move forward with him.

Ledford agreed. Despite teams' best effort to simulate game settings in practice, Sundays are a different animal. Neuzil proved he could handle the pressure and responsibilities required at center, and it subsequently helped secure his spot in the starting lineup.

"Nothing -- nothing -- can replicate a game rep," Ledford said. "Some of these defenders you're going against and it's third-and-8 and you've got to stop them from getting to the quarterback. Or it's first-and-10 and we're trying to get a good run going here, and you've got a really good nose in front of you.

"Those Sundays, it's a different speed. To be able to see him in those situations, for us, it was really important, and it was good to see he was able to check the boxes we wanted to see with it."

Now, it's Neuzil's turn to prove his impressive stretch was a foreshadowing, not a fever dream. The Falcons believe he will.

"The sample size we got to see with him last year with the starts -- he got to start a long period there. We felt really good and comfortable with Neuzil," Ledford said. "I'm excited to see him now, just taking full control now. And just going out there and like, 'Hey man, go run with it now.'"

He just has to sign his contract first.