New general manager Terry Fontenot made a move in the draft that we rarely saw from his predecessor: he took multiple offensive linemen in the middle rounds. Another rare move was selecting players who did not have a clear route to start. Fontenot grabbed Jalen Mayfield, a college tackle, early in the 3rd round, and center Drew Dalman early in the 4th round. The Falcons announced both players more generally as offensive linemen, suggesting they could fill in at different spots along the line.
The expectation was Mayfield would be in the running for the open left guard spot.