FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- Elijah Wilkinson caught his wife Gabrielle scrolling through social media last week, reading posts about him. The Atlanta Falcons right tackle jokingly asked her to put her phone down.
"It was good -- it was good," Wilkinson said about the content of the posts. "I'm like, 'Just don't read it.' Let's live in our world here and we'll see what happens in the end."
Just a few weeks ago, the social media comments might not have been so complimentary. Not because of anything he did or didn't do. Just because of who he was not.
Kaleb McGary, the Falcons' starting right tackle since he was taken in the first round in 2019, sustained a knee injury in the last practice of training camp and was ruled out for the year. McGary's main backup, swing tackle Storm Norton, was already out after ankle surgery.
Wilkinson, primarily a reserve guard, was tabbed as Atlanta's Week 1 starter at right tackle, an especially significant role since he'd be protecting the blindside of left-handed quarterback Michael Penix Jr.
Wilkinson brought a ton of experience with him. He started 19 games at right tackle with the Denver Broncos in 2019 and 2020. In his first tenure with the Falcons, Wilkinson started nine games at left guard in 2022. Atlanta re-signed him last season to the practice squad because of his versatility and his familiarity with offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford's system.
Falcons fans panicked at the season's outset about the prospect of Wilkinson starting on a line that already lost center Drew Dalman to free agency. But Wilkinson and center Ryan Neuzil, a former undrafted free agent, have more than held their own during the team's 2-2 start.
Wilkinson has allowed the 10th-lowest quarterback pressure rate among right tackles (7.7%, minimum 120 pass-block snaps). Neuzil is eighth in that category among centers (4.2%) and 11th in pass block win rate among all interior offensive linemen (95%).
"When people were questioning and alarmed and like, hey, obviously we understood that missing Kaleb was a big thing, but internally we had a ton of confidence in Elijah," three-time Pro Bowl right guard Chris Lindstrom said. "And so, for him to go out and perform the way he has and to continue that throughout the season, it is awesome for him."
The Falcons' offensive line is very close. The players go to dinner every Thursday night. Atlanta head coach Raheem Morris has referred to Ledford's room as "cultlike." Offensive coordinator Zac Robinson said that because of Ledford's system and developmental abilities the Falcons' line is almost like "plug and play."
"Those guys are so connected, and whether they're in the classroom or out on the field, you feel how close that group is and it all starts with Coach Ledford," Robinson said. "He does an unbelievable job handling fundamentals, techniques, all the things that we're looking for in the run game and pass game, but then just bringing the group together. Those guys are always going to dinner together and it's a special bond that you see from those guys."
The Falcons' offensive line is seventh in the league in pass block win rate (65%), though just 28th in run block win rate (68%). The latter hasn't mattered much. Running back Bijan Robinson is fourth in the league in yards from scrimmage (584).
When McGary went down, the Falcons traded with the Seattle Seahawks for tackle Michael Jerrell and then signed Carter Warren and Ryan Hayes to the practice squad. Norton could also be back in the next few weeks. But Wilkinson has done an admirable job, regardless of what the future might hold.
Perhaps, in time, he and Gabrielle can unlock their phone screens, open X or Instagram and see what people are saying.
But most likely not. Because Wilkinson knows just a month ago or so, those words were possibly not very kind.
"It probably wasn't," Wilkinson said with a laugh, "but she probably didn't tell me."