Falcons add offensive lineman Kyle Hinton on reserve/future deal

Atlanta will never stop looking for young talent to add to the offensive line, which we obviously support.

The Falcons are well-stocked with young offensive linemen, but you never have too many. That’s especially true when you have a coaching staff led by Dwayne Ledford that coaxed impressive improvement out of the line in 2022, with Ledford seemingly have a knack for maximizing what he’s got.

That’s why it’s no surprise that the Falcons will continue to add offensive linemen they deem worth developing to this roster, as they did on Wednesday with Kyle Hinton.

Hinton, who was a terrific college tackle moved to guard in the NFL, has spent the last three seasons with the Vikings after they drafted him in the seventh round back in 2020. The read on Hinton coming out of Washburn was that he possessed the raw strength, athleticism and skill to be intriguing, but needed considerable refinement to become a contributor. He only appeared in two games with the Vikings, spending most of his time on the practice squad in Minnesota.

With three years of experience under his belt, joining a team that threw several players at their left guard conundrum last year with pretty solid results, and under the tutelage of a good coaching staff, the hope will be that Hinton can fully unlock his potential. It’s a zero risk flyer for the Falcons, who head into 2023 with plenty of options and little clarity at left guard, but Hinton seems like a decent bet to at least wind up on Atlanta’s practice squad this year. If all goes really well, perhaps he can push his way into that unsettled guard competition, especially if the Falcons decide it’s a position they don’t have to address with big dollars or draft picks.

Give Hinton a warm welcome, and we’ll see what his future in Atlanta looks like.