Outside of Chris Lindstrom, the Atlanta Falcons' offensive line is devoid of long-term pieces. Matthew Bergeron and Jawaan Taylor are on expiring contracts, Jake Matthews is starting to show signs of age, and while Ryan Neuzil had a good year in 2025, his status as the starting center is not locked in.
The Falcons signed Bill Callahan contributor Corey Levin to compete with Neuzil in free agency, but he's not the only one pushing for his job. Atlanta failed to use a 2026 draft pick on an interior OL, but they did sign one in undrafted free agency who could be a dark horse to make the final 53-man roster.
The player is Miami center James Brockermeyer. Of the 16 UDFAs the Dirty Birds have signed, Brockermeyer is one to watch. Not only does he play a position with little competition, a strong showing in training camp could help him carve out the role to eventually steal Neuzil's job for good.
James Brockermeyer was the biggest steal of the Falcons' UDFA class
The benefit of a guy like Neuzil is that he's a cheap, in-house option who shined in the wake of Drew Dalman's departure. But Callahan typically doesn't gravitate towards undersized OL, as the Falcons are looking to get more physical in the trenches, which requires him to evaluate the unit differently.
The All-American OL kicked off his college career at Alabama, where he spent the first three seasons. He then spent a season at TCU, but 2025 was when he truly broke out. He was a First-Team All-American for the Hurricanes and was named to Third Team All-ACC for aiding Miami's elite run game.
According to Pro Football Focus, Neuzil's 77.4 PFF grade ranked seventh among all centers, while his 82.4 run blocking grade ranked sixth at the position. However, he struggled in pass protection, which is a major difference from Brockermeyer, who stood out in pass protection drills at the Senior Bowl.
The only reason Brockermeyer went undrafted is because at 6-foot-3 and 298 pounds with 32" arms, he's a little bit undersized to play the center position. However, former offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford often thrived with undersized linemen, and his measurables aren't that different from Neuzil's.
Elite offensive line play runs in Brockermeyer's family. His dad, Blake Brockermeyer was a former NFL offensive tackle, while his twin brother Tommy was a five-star recruit coming out of high school. So if the bloodline is any proof, the 23-year-old will have a bright future if given the opportunity in Atlanta.
Neuzil was good for the Falcons after Drew Dalman left in free agency, but he was undrafted just like Brockermeyer. A legendary OL coach like Callahan is going to evaluate all options, and they wouldn't have signed a guy with his production if they didn't think he could compete to be the starting center.
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