It may be flying under the radar, but the Atlanta Falcons are in the midst of a massive schematic change on the offensive line. With Bill Callahan coming to Atlanta to replace Dwayne Ledford as the team's offensive line coach, expect the Falcons to become more physical at the line of scrimmage.
When Kevin Stefanski was hired, he opted to let Ledford walk in favor of Callahan, and it didn't take the 49-year-old long to find work. He was hired as the offensive line coach and run game coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens, who are undergoing their own overhaul under new coach Jesse Minter.
The Dirty Birds have several free agents they need to worry about losing with names like Kyle Pitts and Kaden Elliss drawing most of the headlines, but they're not the only ones. Elijah Wilkinson will be a free agent this offseason, and he could end up following his OL coach to Baltimore in free agency.
An Elijah Wilkinson reunion with Dwayne Ledford would rid the Falcons of their weak link on the offensive line
Something worth noting is that the 30-year-old only started for the Falcons because of injuries to both Kaleb McGary and Storm Norton in training camp. McGary is expected to resume his starting spot in 2026, so there's no need for him unless he's okay with being a rotational lineman in Atlanta.
According to Pro Football Focus, Wilkinson's 62.9 PFF grade ranked 57th out of 89 qualified tackles, while his 68.3 run blocking grade ranked 37th. In all honesty, he was average, if not slightly below average this season, but he was a career journeyman until Ledford made him a serviceable starter.
For as productive as Wilkinson was this season, he still struggles in some areas. The UMass product tied for the fourth-most penalized offensive lineman with 11 penalties on the season. Additionally, the undrafted free agent allowed the sixth-most pressures among all offensive tackles in 2025. Yikes.
Wilkinson would likely be relatively cheap to sign and there's no starting spot for him in Atlanta, so it makes sense for him to follow Ledford, even as a backup. The Ravens boast a solid tackle duo in Ronnie Stanley and Roger Rosengarten, but it never hurts to have extra insurance in the trenches.
The Falcons should (rightfully) direct their attention to retaining players like Elliss, Pitts, and David Onyemata, so Wilkinson will likely slip through the cracks. Matt Ryan should know he isn't a priority to keep, and it isn't overly heartbreaking to lose him to the Ravens in the likely event he isn't re-signed.