Ethan Onianwa is making the Falcons think twice about the way they saw him in April.
What started as a camp fill-in at right tackle has turned into something much more interesting. Atlanta had to open the competition when Jawaan Taylor began training camp on the active/PUP list with a lingering elbow injury, and Michael Jerrell plus seventh-round rookie Ethan Onianwa were the ones asked to hold things together. Jerrell opened camp with more first-team work, but that balance has shifted in recent days, with Onianwa getting the heavier look alongside the starters.
Taylor is back on the field now, but that hasn’t ended the conversation. He didn’t take part in team work after being activated, and The Athletic’s Josh Kendall reported that Onianwa handled the first-team snaps instead.
The trend carried into Tuesday. 92.9 The Game’s Joe Patrick said the 22-year-old rookie got more first-team reps again early in practice, a sign that he may have moved ahead of Jerrell and Brandon Walton on the depth chart as the backup right tackle.
“More first team RT reps for rookie 7th round pick Ethan Onianwa early in practice today.”
That still comes with the obvious caveat that these reps are happening while the Falcons are missing Jawaan Taylor and Wanya Morris. But it’s also clear the staff is taking Onianwa seriously. At 6-foot-6 and 333 pounds, he gives Bill Callahan a big, workable body to shape as Atlanta tries to get sturdier up front.
The fit matters even more because of the way Atlanta’s protection is built. With Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa both left-handed, the right tackle is the spot that has to protect the quarterback’s blind side. That makes the position especially important for the Falcons, and it raises the value of any young lineman who can handle it.
Onianwa’s rise may also help explain why Atlanta felt comfortable releasing 2025 seventh-round pick Jack Nelson, who also brings the ability to play multiple spots on the offensive line. But the trust in Onianwa at right tackle says plenty on its own.
Atlanta used its final pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on him as a swing-for-the-fences bet. Right now, he looks like more than that. The rookie who entered camp as a dart throw is starting to look like a real find for the Falcons.
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