Because they made just six draft picks, the Atlanta Falcons' rookie class isn't generating much attention outside of Avieon Terrell and Zachariah Branch. That's usually what happens when you don't have a first-round pick and your old GM set the new GM up with one hand tied behind his back.
But even with the limited opportunity, the Falcons have some unqiue Day 3 picks who could do some damage. Kendal Daniels. Harold Perkins Jr. But of their four Day 3 picks, one of the guys who deserves more respect is their last pick of the draft: seventh-round offensive tackle Ethan Onianwa.
Atlanta selected Onianwa with the 231st pick, as Ian Cunningham looked to cap off his first draft class with a dart throw on the offensive line. It's a position where the depth chart feels just as murky as it does wide open, so he has a good chance to force himself into the franchise's long-term plans.
The Falcons have plans for Ethan Onianwa regardless of how the summer ends
The 22-year-old is set to turn 23 next month, but has some intriguing upside for Bill Callahan to work with. Not only does he have versatility to play anywhere on the offensive line except center, he is one massive human at 6-foot-6 and 333 pounds, similar to another former Callahan OT in Dawand Jones.
Here's the issue. Ethan Onianwa isn't a very finished product. In 2022 and 2023, he allowed a combined 13 sacks, but he did get better as his college career progressed. He surrendered just one sack across his last two college seasons, but he was more of a rotational lineman with Ohio State.
The Dirty Birds will have Onianwa competing with Michael Jerrell, Jack Nelson, and Riley Mahlman to be a depth tackle, since Storm Norton is on the PUP list and will not play this season. And Wanya Morris, Jawaan Taylor, and Jake Matthews are the roster locks the Falcons have at offensive tackle.
He had a couple of good practice sessions in OTAs, but training camp will be a true litmus test about what plans Atlanta has in store for this guy. We should see a lot of the former Buckeye during the preseason, which will provide answers about which high-upside young tackle the Falcons keep.
In theory, Onianwa should have an advantage since he was drafted by this new regime, but even if he doesn't make the roster, he may still be in their long-term plans. Jerrell has been another standout this summer, and it appears he could be the backup right tackle behind Taylor to start the season.
And if Jerrell wins that backup RT job, the Falcons would be better off just stashing the ex-Buckeye on the practice squad. His college career suggests he has the versatility and track record to be a rotational lineman, and Atlanta drafted him to get a closer look at a prospect with big-time upside.
So even if it doesn't happen overnight, the Falcons have a plan for Ethan Onianwa's development.
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