Atlanta Falcons scoping out potential guards

Since the Atlanta Falcons are heading into the 2018 season with 3 true guards on the roster, fans are anticipating the franchise to pick one in the draft.

Since the Atlanta Falcons are heading into the 2018 season with three true guards on the roster, fans are anticipating the franchise to pick one in the draft. At the current moment, the team has Andy Levitre, Wes Schweitzer, and Sean Harlow battling it out for the top two spots.

Ben Garland is a free agent, and it looks like he’s well on his way out the door. However, don’t expect the Falcons to sit idly by, not with the depth and talent at the guard position that is available in this year’s draft.

One such name is Colby Gossett, a guard out of Appalachian State. Reports came in Tuesday night that verified a Falcons’ scout was checking out Gossett. Additionally, Charles McDonald also reported that Atlanta was showing interest in Georgia tackle Isaiah Wynn, which further supports the team’s interest in adding depth to the guard position.

Of the two, Gossett seems like the mightier option. At 6’6”, 311-pounds, there’s no questioning the young man’s stature and great genetics for the sport. Gossett is also a graduating senior with a full four-year repertoire of experience backing him up.

The collegiate years have certainly helped him become a dominant force in pass protection and an extremely impressive run blocker. Likewise, Gossett isn’t coming out of some no-name school since Appalachian State has been a force in the FBS for quite some time now. All in all, Gossett is everything you’d want in a top-tier offensive lineman, so it comes as no surprise to see the Falcons showing interest in the stud. However, the question still remains; when will Atlanta snag Gossett?

Overall, Gossett looks like a fine acquisition for a late Day 2 selection or even an early Day 3 pick. That would throw the rook somewhere in the third or fourth round range, if Atlanta decides to pull the trigger. If that were the case, can Falcons’ fans expect to see Gossett suiting up this fall?

That will mostly depend on what the Falcons are planning to do with the rookie. If their looking to bolster the depth of their roster and develop Gossett over the years, it would be unlikely for the guard to crack the starting lineup.

Notwithstanding that plan, Levitre isn’t getting any younger, is quite expensive for what he brings, and is coming off a nasty triceps injury that snapped his 2017 season short. Schweitzer ended up making the best of his season, but many felt his performance was uninspiring.

Conceivably, a Day 1 or Day 2 selection at guard could start and end up replacing both of them. Depending on how the Falcons assess their other needs, it wouldn’t be much of a bombshell to see them make a move for a guard early in the draft. All things considered, Gossett could end up being that very guy.

Heck, even the aforementioned Wynn would have a chance at starting from Day 1. Having either of them would certainly have a positive impact on this upcoming training camp.

So where does that leave the Falcons’ offensive line? Well Atlanta owns three top-tier tackles, after the draft they’ll have plenty of depth at guard, and they also happen to have Alex Mack at center. So in reality, the Falcons just need to bolster their second string center, which says a lot about the capability of this offensive line.

Next: Questions facing the Falcons as they head into offseason

As the offseason progresses, remember to keep checking the Falcons’ future odds at online sportsbooks, to get an idea how the team matches up against the rest of the NFC.