Falcons rookie Troy Andersen supplants Mykal Walker as starter

The Falcons released their Week 16 depth chart ahead of the team’s tilt against the Ravens in Baltimore. And for the most part, these are never interesting. But this week is different. Troy Andersen has officially supplanted Mykal Walker as the defense’s starting linebacker next to Rashaan Evans.

Ravens week

— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) December 19, 2022

Andersen has started two games this season, but the Week 6 start against the 49ers was due to injuries. However, the same cannot be said for last week’s game in New Orleans. The Falcons rookie got the start over a healthy Walker.

Andersen has slowly been integrated into games, notching more than 40% of defensive snaps just once before the last month, where he’s posted three straight weeks with more. Andersen’s game against the Saints was a bag of mixed results. The Montana State product flashed in the run game, displaying the elite physical ability scouts raved about. But there were moments (most of the time) where Andersen looked like a rookie.

I’m curious to know if this is an indictment on Mykal Walker, who has struggled this season, or confidence in Troy Andersen. When a team invests a second-round pick in a player, they usually get the benefit of the doubt.

Below is the Falcons’ full depth chart via the team’s website.