Falcons Share Draft Decision On RB Tyler Allgeier; New Lead Back?
It appears that the Atlanta Falcons were thinking offense following the results of the 2022 NFL Draft. Five of the Falcons' eight draft selections came on the offensive side of the ball, headlined by wide receiver Drake London from USC.
Rob Gray/USA Today Sports
But out of the five offensive players the Falcons drafted, running back Tyler Allgeier could have been the most vital acquisition.
Atlanta finished the 2021 campaign with one of the league's inefficient offenses. The Falcons recorded the fourth-lowest total yardage of the year while rushing for an average of 85.4 yards per game.
The Houston Texans are the only team that rushed for fewer yards than the Falcons last season. And it's a problem the Falcons believe Allgeier could help solve after taking the BYU prospect with the No. 151 pick of the draft.
"He's a great football player — certainly he'll be in that room," coach Arthur Smith said. "We love his yards after contact. Love the mental makeup. Think he's a guy that should come in here, if he's not contributing on first, second down right away — he's a guy that hopefully helps us on third down."
Allgeier will have an opportunity to compete for the Falcons' lead back position ahead of the 2022 campaign. His ability to break tackles and create explosive plays are the traits that gave Smith and general manager Terry Fontenot the confidence to draft Allgeier.
He had 40 runs of 10 or more yards after contact during his final year at BYU. Allgeier ended his senior campaign with a career-high 1,601 yards on 276 carries and 23 touchdowns. The 2021 season marked the second consecutive year Allgeier eclipsed over 1,000 yards in rushing.
Petre Thomas/USA Today Sports
Kirby Lee/USA Today Sports
Trevor Ruszkowski/USA Today Sports
Fontenot described Allgeier's on-field production as "unreal." There are a lot of intangibles the Falcons ask of their running backs. But if he can meet the demands of the lofty job description, Atlanta believes he will be a valuable player in their backfield for years to come.
"He's been a productive player, but this season it went to another level," Fontenot said. "If you're smart and tough and you're going to work at your craft and take the coaching — you're going to continue to improve. Same thing on fourth down. Regardless of how much guys did in college — you're going to project to do well in those areas.”
The Falcons went through the entire season without a primary running back. Hybrid wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson led the Falcons' rushing attack in 2021. He recorded a career-best 618 yards on 153 attempts for six touchdowns.
The Falcons have not had a 1,000-yard running back since former All-Pro Devonta Freeman in 2016. But maybe that will change with Allgeier.
