Atlanta Falcons: Three potential breakout players in 2022

Matt Hennessy

Matt Hennessy played better than most Atlanta Falcons fans would believe. 

While he did struggle in pass protection, most routinely trying to pass protect against bull rushers, Hennessy was elite as a run blocker.

He played so well as a run blocker that he made Pro Football Focus’s top 101 players, ironically coming in as the 101st player on the list. Most fans never would have thought that he would make such a list, but he did.

Hennessy’s goal for 2022 is quite obvious, to become a quality pass protector. He struggled mightily when lined up against powerful nose tackles. One of his worst games came against the New England Patriots when the Falcons were shut out, and much of it was due to the Patriots constantly lining a nose tackle over him. He was routinely overpowered and pushed straight into the lap of Matt Ryan.

If Matt Hennessy can make strides in that aspect of his game, he could become one of the elite players at his position. He already has half of his game down, now it is time to get the rest under control.

Perhaps the Falcons’ offensive line will become serviceable if Hennessy makes strides as a pass protector.