RADIO
Tyler Allgeier 2022 NFL Player Outlook: Entering a Falcons Backfield Without a Clear Alpha
3 years agoAtlanta Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier was a workhorse running back prospect coming out of BYU, scoring a ridiculous 23 TDs, second-most of all RBs in 2021. He reached 100 rushing yards in 7-of-13 games in his final season. Now, the former linebacker enters a backfield with Cordarrelle Patterson and Damien Williams. Considering each of these running backs are 30+ years old, there is a clear path towards immediate relevance in the Falcons offense for Allgeier. Following his 3 TD game last season, Cordarrelle Patterson out-carried Mike Davis 10.5/gm to 7.2/gm. Heading into next season, I don't expect the 31-year-old career kickoff specialist to improve as a runner between the tackles, and I don't think it is a "hot take" to suggest that he will likely return to normalcy with fewer than 10 carries per game. I'm also expecting Jeremy McNichols to play sparingly in the run game, primarily being used as a pass-catcher whenever Patterson is unavailable. This means Tyler Allgeier is likely just competing for early-down work with Damien Williams, who's had fewer rushing yards in his entire 7-year NFL career than Allgeier did in just his final season at BYU. All this being said, Allgeier could quickly become the team's go-to option on early-down and goal-line running plays. Come to the end of the season; I expect this backfield to have been split between Patterson and Allgeier, with each receiving ~8-12 carries/game based on the game script.
