NFL Free Agency: This ‘Psychopath’ Could Be Upgrade for Packers

Posted by author January 23, 2025 NFL

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In 2021, the Green Bay Packers made Josh Myers the first center selected in the draft.

Four years later, with Myers playing through significant injuries during the final season of his rookie contract and set to hit free agency, the Packers might be poised to find a new leader for their offensive line.

One intriguing option is the Atlanta Falcons’ Drew Dalman. A fourth-round pick in 2021 and the third center off the board, he quietly has become one of the most consistent performers at his position since stepping into a starting role in 2022.

“Drew Dalman is a psychopath, and you love that about him,” Falcons coach Raheem Morris said before the season. “He’s got two options in life: He could either be a good center or, man, I’d be worried about him.”

Morris continued: “He is a perfectionist. He wants to be graded, and he wants to be graded hard. He wants to be graded on every snap that he has to Kirk (Cousins), whether we’re in the gun, whether we’re up under. He’s looking for more of that chemistry.”

Dalman, 26, has been a reliable anchor for the Falcons’ offensive line. This season, he earned a Pro Football Focus overall grade of 78.8, which ranked third out of 32 centers who played at least 500 snaps.

Coaches do not put a lot of credence into those grades but, for what it’s worth, Myers finished 30th.

Dalman’s standout run-blocking grade of 79.8, which placed him fourth, highlights his ability to open running lanes and create opportunities in the ground game. However, his pass-blocking grade of 66.6 (ninth) reveals an area where he could continue to improve.

Limited to nine games due to an ankle injury, Dalman allowed two sacks this year, according to PFF. He’s gotten better every season. PFF charged him with zero sacks and 27 pressures with nine penalties in 2022, two sacks and 29 pressures with five penalties in 2023 and two sacks but only 10 pressures with three penalties in 2024.

When asked about his impending free agency, Dalman played it close to the vest. “I’m not really going to discuss that kind of stuff,” he said. “Pretty personal, and it’s team related.”

Despite his reticence on the subject, he expressed his fondness for his time in Atlanta.

“It’s been an awesome experience, and I hope it continues and all that,” Dalman shared. “Playing with incredible teammates over the years and having incredible coaches, I’ve enjoyed and savored every bit of it.”

His comments reflect a deep connection to the Falcons organization, suggesting that re-signing in Atlanta remains a strong possibility.

Dalman’s skills as a run-blocker could be transformative for the Packers’ ground game if he were to join Green Bay. In 2024, running back Josh Jacobs amassed 1,329 yards on 301 carries, averaging 4.4 yards per attempt, and scored 15 touchdowns. Adding a player of Dalman’s caliber to the offensive line could help Jacobs elevate those numbers even further – and perhaps even chase his personal best of 1,653 rushing yards from 2022 with the Raiders.

Although Dalman missed half of the 2024 season, his prior performances suggest he has the potential to be a long-term solution at center. In 2023, when he was PFF’s second-ranked center, he started 14 games. He started all 17 games in 2022, when he ranked 14th.

According to PFF, Dalman allowed four sacks in 1,368 pass-blocking snaps during four seasons with the Falcons. Myers, on the other hand, was charged with nine sacks in 2,001 pass-blocking snaps.

According to Sports Info Solutions, Dalman allowed two sacks and had a blown-block rate of just 1.3 percent this season compared to zero sacks and 1.8 percent for Myers.

For the Packers, acquiring Dalman could address their pressing need at the position and provide stability to their offensive line for years to come. However, the Falcons may have other plans. Reports indicate that Atlanta values Dalman highly and could prioritize retaining him to solidify their own line moving forward.

PFF ranked Dalman as the 22nd-best NFL free agent for the upcoming offseason, making him the top-rated center on its list. This recognition underscores his value in the free-agent market and the potential impact he could have on a team like the Packers.

“There aren’t many long-term answers in free agency at center, which will make Dalman the primary beneficiary if he reaches the open market,” PFF wrote in its center rankings. “Any team that deploys an outside-zone rushing scheme will be all over the former fourth-round pick.”

Dalman’s success is no surprise. He didn’t allow a sack during his final three seasons at Stanford. A bit undersized at 6-foot-3 and 300 pounds, Dalman was an elite tester before the 2021 draft.

Plus, he’s got the DNA as is the son of Chris Dalman, a fellow Stanford grad who started 64 games at guard and center for the 49ers in the 1990s. After that, he served as an assistant coach and learned the finer points of zone-scheme play from the esteemed Alex Gibbs.

“On the mental side, Drew was able to take this stuff as a 15-year old kid,” Chris Dalman told The Athletic. “He said, ‘I know what you’re doing, Dad, I see you want this Mike (linebacker) there, and that’s why we’re doing this.’ … Those things all came easy to him. He’s kind of the guy who can see something once and understand it — a photographic memory, so to speak. You’re not going to out-information him.”

Ultimately, Drew Dalman represents both a compelling free-agent target for the Packers and a key asset for the Falcons to retain. His potential to impact the run game, combined with his consistent track record, makes him one of the more intriguing names to watch as free agency approaches.

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