Atlanta Falcons 2020 Season Preview: Qadree Ollison
Qadree Ollison wrote the Atlanta Falcons’ wildest statistics sheet of 2019. Mostly, it was subpar.
He carried the ball 22 times for 50 yards. His 2.3 yards per attempt is about half of what running backs typically aim for. He caught one pass for seven yards. He fumbled once.
But then there were the touchdowns.
Ollison led the team in rushing touchdowns on 22 touches.
He ran for four scores despite playing only 5% of Atlanta’s offensive snaps. He recorded only two less touchdowns than star wide receiver Julio Jones.
Absurd, yes, but last season wasn’t the first time Ollison was a touchdown-scoring enigma.
OLLISON’S BACKGROUND
The Falcons picked Ollison in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft after he bookended his college career at the University of Pittsburgh with fantastic seasons.
As a freshman fill-in for the injured James Conner, now of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Ollison burst for more than 1,100 rushing yards and, you guessed it, a lot of touchdowns. He finished 2015 with 12 total scores in 13 games.
He then slogged through two seasons as a backup, compiling 525 yards on the ground, before breaking out again as a senior starter. He tallied 1,200 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2018.
Last season, as an NFL rookie, he didn’t play in a game until Week 10. Seven days later, he attempted his first carry and scored from two yards out against the Carolina Panthers. He appeared in each of Atlanta’s final eight contests.
2020 ROLE
Ollison’s 2020 spot is tough to project after the Falcons’ signed Todd Gurley II as their lead running back this offseason.
Late in the 2019 season, Ollison and his 6-foot-1, 232-pound frame took over as Atlanta power back, receiving most of his action around the goal line. The team didn’t have another big-bodied runner on its roster.
Gurley stands the same height as Ollison and weighs only a few pounds less, so he figures to get the bulk of those touches this season.
That leaves Ollison competing for field time with fellow backups, Ito Smith and Brian Hill. He is eligible to be on the Falcons’ practice squad, but after Atlanta held four running backs on its 53-man roster last year, he probably won’t be demoted or cut.
And if handed an opportunity, and the ball, he might just score a few touchdowns.
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