Most articles that I've seen reviewing the Falcons roster this offseason have tended to overlook fifth round draft pick Tyler Allgeier, focusing on Cordarelle Patterson in the running back group. More recently, a few articles have started to pick up on the fact that Atlanta drafted him for specific reasons. Cordarelle Patterson had a breakthrough year in 2021, without a doubt. Head coach Arthur Smith made use of his "slash" capabilities better than any previous coach or coordinator. The catch is that the Falcons really didn't have much else in the running back group, and Patterson wore down and was ineffective in the final month of the season. So they want someone who can ground and pound to keep Patterson and Damien Williams fresh. It's easy to say they want a "physical" runner, but that doesn't really mean all that much. That label could apply to backup Qadree Ollison and practice squad prospect Caleb Huntley. Allgeier has a kind of toughness that the new Falcons braintrust wants to bring in to help change the mindset and culture of the entire organization. He's the type of runner who lives for contact and looks to dish out punishment on would-be tacklers. He's not a short yardage specialist either. He had back to back 1000 yard rushing seasons at BYU. He also broke a LOT of tackles. Never mind his 2021 yardage and touchdowns. Here's the truly staggering statistic: 70% of his rushing yards came AFTER contact. He's not a speedster (4.60 at the Combine). He's a bowling ball with knives. The Falcons area scout and RB coach both noted the Washington State game as the most important bit of game film as far as understanding why they wanted Allgeier. Washington State was down by 8 points, scored the touchdown but missed the two point conversion. So BYU gets the ball back with a little over four minutes to go, ahead by just two points. Everybody in the stadium knows that BYU is going to hand the ball to Allgeier to burn clock. And they do - repeatedly - and Washington State still can't stop him. The video shows four of the runs. They actually handed the ball to Allgeier for seven consecutive plays. He gained 51 yards in that stretch, and BYU was in field goal range when they took a knee to end the game. So that's why Atlanta wanted him. But will they actually use him? They didn't use Ollison much as a rookie, or Ito Smith before him. Of course, that was a different coaching staff, and this is a different situation. Now they specifically want a bell cow, and they think Allgeier fits the description. Last year the same coaching staff took it slowly with the development of several draft picks, including second rounder Richie Grant. They're likely to take it slowly again this year with second round LB Troy Andersen. But Allgeier is more likely to be put into duty right away, particularly in first down and short yardage situations. Projection: he'll be the #3 RB behind Patterson and Williams, but he'll get plenty of carries. I also wouldn't be surprised to see him on the field together with Patterson at times, either in two-back sets or with Patterson kicking over to WR.
Good post. Allgeier doesnt look like a speedster, but I like the toughness and power he displayed. In my opinion, Atlanta is headed in the right direction and that is up.... no more satisfaction with average, time to turn the page. And please send Patterson back to Minnesota... thank you.
