Ryan Neuzil was ranked near the bottom of Pro Football Focus’ center rankings for 2025 NFL season
The Atlanta Falcons spent years building their offensive line before selecting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft. While the majority of offensive starters will return in 2025, the Falcons lost center Drew Dalman in free agency.
The former Stanford Cardinal worked his way up from a fourth-round pick to become one of the better centers in the entire league. The Chicago Bears signed Dalman to a three-year, $42 million contract over the offseason, leaving a big hole in the middle of Atlanta’s offensive line.
Without much salary cap space, the team re-signed former backup Ryan Neuzil to a two-year, $9.5 million contract. The 27-year-old appeared in eight games for the Falcons last season after Dalman was placed on the injured reserve list with an ankle injury.
While Neuzil didn’t exactly set the league on fire, he more than held his own in the time Dalman was out. So where does Neuzil rank among the starting centers in the league going into the 2025 NFL season?
The veteran offensive lineman was ranked 29th out of 32 starters in Pro Football Focus’ center rankings:
Neuzil stepped in for the injured Drew Dalman this past season, and while he didn’t dominate, he performed well enough to earn the nod for a full season in 2025. Neuzil needs to better limit mistakes in the run game but did show some flashes, ranking in the 72nd percentile in positively graded run play rate (15.7%). — Mason Cameron, PFF
The Falcons are putting their faith in Neuzil to get the job done this season. Fortunately, he’ll be surrounded by elite talent. Pro Bowl guard Chris Lindstrom is one of the better players in the NFL and third-year left guard Matthew Bergeron has been solid since taking over in 2023.
As for Dalman, the former Falcons center was ranked fifth by Pro Football Focus:
After his final season in Atlanta was cut short due to injury, Dalman heads to a perfect situation with Ben Johnson in Chicago. His reputation as one of the best run-blocking centers in the game will be a huge asset in Johnson’s zone-heavy scheme, where the veteran has produced a career 93.8 PFF run-blocking grade. — Mason Cameron, PFF
The Falcons offense is loaded with playmakers, including Drake London, Darnell Mooney, Bijan Robinson and Kyle Pitts. With a full offseason to prepare, Penix is in a position to thrive as the undisputed QB1 in Atlanta. The team just needs Neuzil to hold down the center position and this could be one of the most prolific units in the NFL this season.
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