6 Atlanta Falcons the team is relying on to improve 2024 production

5. Kaleb McGary

Kaleb McGary consistently struggled before a strong 2022 season led to a seemingly earned payday. However, the Falcons opted to pay their right tackle after an outlier season, and that showed up in the 2023 season. McGary struggled in pass protection and was the definition of inconsistent.

There were some improvements down the stretch but not enough to wipe away all concern. Atlanta needs McGary to take a step forward from last season with the offensive changes that have been made. Zac Robinson's offense is going to be far more focused on pushing the ball down the field and consistently distributing the ball to the receivers.

This means more pass protection and an obvious need for more consistency with who is under center. Kirk Cousins is coming off a season-ending injury and was hardly mobile before suffering the injury.

Cousins isn't going to escape many tackles and despite solid footwork won't buy much time. Mariota and Ridder were both far more mobile and struggled to deal with McGary's pass protection at times. That cannot be the case for Kirk Cousins in the 2024 season. If the right tackle doesn't show early improvement it would be fair to expect Atlanta's backup tackle to see action early on in the season.