Atlanta Falcons fans were shocked when starting right tackle Kaleb McGary announced his retirement, as they were bracing for him to immediately step back in to protect Michael Penix Jr. or Tua Tagovailoa's blind side once he returned from injury, but instead they're back to square one at RT.
Unless they're interested in Gennings Dunker or Chase Bisontis at pick 48, the Falcons are better suited to address the tackle position later in the draft after signing Jawaan Taylor to protect the blind side of Penix or Tagovailoa, but they could still look to give Jack Nelson a shot if Taylor struggles.
Nelson waited in the wings all season for his shot in Atlanta, and it seems like he might finally get it. He was the fifth player drafted by the Dirty Birds in their five-player 2025 NFL Draft class, but unlike his fellow 2025 draftees, the 24-year-old waited most of the year, playing just four offensive snaps. But good things come to those who wait, and the RT job could easily be his given the circumstances.
Jack Nelson now has the opportunity of a lifetime with the Falcons
Storm Norton missed all of 2025 due to injury, but was solid in 2024, so would you rather put more stock into Norton's tape from two seasons ago, or see what you have in Nelson if Taylor is bad? Besides, Norton is more of a depth swing tackle, and has less upside than both Taylor and Nelson.
The one-year deal Taylor signed is pretty low-stakes, and with how penalty-prone he is. Yes, he has 111 career starts at right tackle and is probably the heavy favorite to start at right tackle, but with how rough things were for him in Kansas City and how bad he is as a run blocker, his job isn't safe.
The 6-foot-7, 314-pound Nelson is one massive human being who will certainly inject the type of physicality into this offensive line that Bill Callahan is hoping for. He's a big guy with potential who Atlanta drafted for the upside in the seventh round of the draft, and that swing can now pay off.
The only issue with Nelson getting a shot at right tackle was that he has no experience at the position. In his first year at Wisconsin, he was an All-Big Ten honorable mention at right guard, and in the two seasons afterward he switched to left tackle where he started every game in 2022 and 2023.
A plus about Nelson is that he allowed just one sack in 782 snaps in college, so you can say whatever you want about his NFL experience, but he's a hog molly who can step in admirably regardless of where he was drafted. But this also doesn't mean you hand him the keys. You let him earn the job.
Odds are that the right tackle depth chart boils down to Nelson, Norton, and Taylor, who was one of the worst run-blocking OTs in the NFL in 2025. Hopefully another rookie comes into the fold too, but if 2026 is going to be more of a bridge season in Atlanta anyways, it doesn't hurt to give Nelson a shot.