Falcons projected starting offense with player grades

Q: Who is replacing Kaleb McGary as the starting right tackle for the Falcons?

Jawaan Taylor has been signed to replace Kaleb McGary as the starting right tackle for the Falcons.

Q: What is the status of the Falcons' quarterback competition for the 2026 season?

Michael Penix Jr. is recovering from ACL surgery and will compete with Tua Tagovailoa for the starting quarterback position.

Q: How does Jawaan Taylor's blocking compare to Kaleb McGary's?

Jawaan Taylor is considered a slight upgrade in pass blocking compared to Kaleb McGary, though he is not as strong in run blocking.

Falcons projected starting offense with player grades

TL;DR

The Atlanta Falcons have signed former Chiefs lineman Jawaan Taylor to replace retiring right tackle Kaleb McGary. The offense will see some new faces, but the quarterback position remains uncertain as Michael Penix Jr. recovers from ACL surgery and competes with Tua Tagovailoa for the starting role.

For the second year in a row, the Atlanta Falcons will enter the season with a new starting right tackle. After missing all of 2025 due to a knee injury, Kaleb McGary has decided to retire at the age of 31. The Falcons wasted no time finding a replacement for McGary.

On Friday, the team officially signed former Kansas City Chiefs offensive lineman Jawaan Taylor to start at right tackle in 2026. While Taylor isn't as strong of a run blocker as McGary, he is a slight upgrade as a pass blocker, which bodes well for lefty quarterbacks Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa.

The Falcons offense should look largely the same next season but there will be a few new faces. Tight end Kyle Pitts, wide receiver Drake London and running back Bijan Robinson will be joined by Jahan Dotson, Olamide Zaccheaus and Austin Hooper.

However, the quarterback position is still up in the air. Penix is still rehabbing from an ACL surgery and will have to battle Tagovailoa for the starting job. While Tagovailoa has the experience advantage, I believe Penix has the higher ceiling, assuming he's healthy by Week 1

In our latest Falcons starting lineup projection, we gave the nod to Penix. Check out the team's projected starting offense, including Pro Football Focus grades for each player.

QB Michael Penix Jr.: 59.3
RB Bijan Robinson: 86.6
WR Drake London: 88.0
WR Jahan Dotson: 54.1
WR Olamide Zaccheaus: 54.8
TE Kyle Pitts: 73.6
LT Jake Matthews: 69.7
LG Matthew Bergeron: 70.8
C Ryan Neuzil: 77.4
RG Chris Lindstrom: 88.4
RT Jawaan Taylor: 53.3

The Falcons picked up Bijan Robinson's fifth-year option on Friday, keeping the running back in Atlanta through the 2027 season. Robinson's option will cost the team approximately $11.3 million in 2027, but the Falcons will likely reach an extension before he reaches the final year of his deal.

This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Atlanta Falcons: Projected starting lineup on offense

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