Who's Falcons 'Secret Superstar'? - PFF
While there aren't high expectations for the Atlanta Falcons, there is a decent-sized crop of talented football players despite the team's lack of success.
Atlanta's offensive line allowed 40 sacks a season ago, placing the unit in the bottom-half of the NFL.
While fingers can be pointed in any direction, none should go towards right guard Chris Lindstrom. A 2019 first-round pick out of Boston College, Lindstrom has started every game the past two seasons, emerging as one of the league's best guards.
It can be easy for consistently good offensive linemen to fly under the radar, but that isn't (entirely) the case for Lindstrom, with Pro Football Focus naming the 25-year-old the Falcons' "secret superstar."
Lindstrom seems to be a victim of the Falcons' offense collapsing around him, but he has maintained an extremely strong start to his career, improving in each season since entering the NFL. In 2021, his 83.7 PFF grade ranked sixth among guards. He didn’t allow a sack all season, surrendering 31 total pressures across 661 pass-blocking snaps. His run blocking was among the elite at the position, and he has been flagged for penalties just five times in three NFL campaigns. - PFF's Sam Monson
One of only three guards in the NFL to not allow a sack, Lindstrom serves as a building block along with left tackle Jake Matthews for a Falcons offensive line littered with question marks.
While Lindstrom turned in an outstanding third season, he spent his offseason doing what any great player would - work on his perceived weaknesses. According to the Massachusetts native, those areas include body posture and, surprisingly, pass protection.
Though his 2021 season was as well-rounded of a campaign as any Atlanta offensive lineman has had in years, Lindstrom is focused on keeping his arrow pointing up.
For the Falcons, having a young, reliable star in Lindstrom voice interest in staying on board is an encouraging start when the time comes to enter contract talks. In the meantime, Lindstrom aims to anchor and elevate an offensive line that desperately needs to make a jump.
