Falcons Urged to Make One Last Move Before NFL Draft

Attention in the NFL has flipped from free agency to the draft. But that doesn't mean there aren't still quality veterans on the market that the Atlanta Falcons could target.

On April 5, Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox named one free agent that each team could still pursue this month. For the Falcons, Knox picked center Nick Harris.

"The Falcons lost starting center Drew Dalman in free agency and are short on options for replacing him. Taking a flier on 26-year-old center Nick Harris would be very sensible," wrote Knox.

"Harris suffered a season-ending fibula fracture in October and also suffered a season-ending knee injury in 2022. However, he's appeared in 45 games with six starts in his career and would give Atlanta a strong depth option ahead of the draft."

Harris spent the 2024 campaign with the Cleveland Browns after the Browns acquired him from the Seattle Seahawks in a trade during the preseason. Harris played in five games, starting two of them, before landing on injured reserve.

The center missed the final 11 games of the 2024 season because of an ankle injury.

Last year was Harris' second stint with the Browns. Cleveland selected him in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He appeared in 40 games for the Browns from 2020-23, starting four games at center.

Harris signed as a free agent with the Seahawks last offseason.

The veteran center isn't going to move the needle much for the Falcons. Atlanta has received criticism this offseason for not finding better bargains on the open market.

But it says something positive about Harris that the Browns wanted him back. His starting experience is minimum, but he does have some, and Harris will be cheap.

The Falcons don't have a lot of depth at center after losing Drew Dalman in free agency. In fact, other than Ryan Neuzil, the Falcons don't have another center who has played the position in an NFL regular season game.

2023 seventh-round pick Jovaughn Gwyn and former undrafted free agent Matthew Cindric is presumably Atlanta's depth at center right now.

And technically, Neuzil isn't on the Falcons roster because he hasn't signed his offer sheet.

As the Falcons saw in 2024, it can be extremely valuable to have center depth in the organization. Adding Harris would be a prudent move to give the team more insurance in the middle of the offensive line.