On Friday night, the Atlanta Falcons got a preview of what life might be like without long-time left tackle Jake Matthews. It wasn't a pretty picture, to say the least.
Matthews suffered a minor injury early in the game and had to leave the field, so the Falcons moved Mike Jerrell over to play the blindside in his place and brought rookie Ethan Onianwa up from the sideline to play right tackle.
Left tackle was far from their only problem but the pass protection and run blocking were both atrocious, contributing to a near-total offensive failure in Atlanta's preseason debut.
It reinforces the need to prepare for the inevitable day when Matthews has to retire. Getting a head start might not be a bad idea, beginning with taking a potential replacement
in the 2027 NFL Draft.
That's exactly what the Falcons do in a new 2027 mock draft from Bleacher Report, which has them taking Texas tackle Trevor Goosby at No. 8 overall.
"Goosby returned to school after a promising first year as the Longhorns' starting left tackle," B/R scout Brandon Thorn said. "As a 20-year-old redshirt freshman in 2025, he now holds the inside track to be the top blocker off the board. At 6'7" and 325 pounds, Goosby displays rare play-strength with elite length that combine to make him one of the country's most physically imposing linemen."
Goosby has earned strong marks from college scouts for both run blocking and pass blocking, while his size and athleticism give him a ceiling about as high as it gets. His 4.80 forty-yard dash time is in the 99th percentile at his position.
Most of Goosby's playing time at Texas has been at left tackle, but he also has experience on the other side, which could come in handy for the Falcons - who have yet to find a proven successor to the now-retired Kaleb McGary.
Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski said he doesn't expect Matthews to miss any time but the left tackle did not participate at Monday's practice.
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Falcons land Jake Matthews replacement in B/R mock draft
