The Falcons are trying to form an identity on offense. Punishing runner Tyler Allgeier, who went from walk-on running back to linebacker and back to running back at BYU, provides the toughness they’ve sought.
Allgeier, the team’s fifth-round selection (151st overall) in the NFL draft Saturday, possesses a physical style that coach Arthur Smith values. The workhorse ran for 2,731 yards and 36 touchdowns over the past two seasons, but he wasn’t always viewed as a premier back.
“I’ve been slept on almost my whole life,” Allgeier said.
His story isn’t conventional. The Fontana, California, native was a walk-on in 2018 after graduating from Kaiser High School, where he was the school’s all-time leading rusher. He appeared in only four games during a redshirt season before switching to linebacker in 2019.
Allgeier had 26 tackles, a half-sack and forced fumble as a linebacker while also playing special teams. But he converted back to running back because of BYU’s injuries at the position. He had 119 yards on 17 attempts to finish the season.
Then came 2020. Allgeier broke out, running for 1,130 yards and 13 touchdowns. He was a key cog of an offense directed by quarterback Zach Wilson, who became the No. 2 overall pick in the draft last April. With Wilson gone, Allgeier successfully assumed a heavier workload last season. He ran for a school-record 1,601 yards and FBS-leading 23 touchdowns in 13 games. He was a second-team All-American. He finished his career strong in the Independence Bowl, posting 192 yards and three touchdowns on 27 carries.
“Watch that bowl game,” Smith said. “That’ll tell you everything you need to know about him.”
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Allgeier’s consecutive eye-grabbing campaigns put him firmly on the NFL radar. There might not be a back in this class who breaks tackles like Allgeier does, whose calling card is producing yards after contact. He averaged 4.2 yards after contact per attempt during his collegiate career, according to Pro Football Focus. Allgeier had 70% of his rushing yards gained after contact, per The Athletic’s Dane Brugler.
It’s no surprise that Allgeier’s influences are former Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch and current Browns running back Nick Chubb, two downhill, balanced, violent runners.
“Just making that one guy miss, not letting one guy to be the one who tackles me,” Allgeier said. “I’d rather make a full team tackle me than one guy. I pride myself on that, I would say.”
Allgeier, 22, isn’t a burner. He ran a 4.6 40-yard dash. He had some ball-security issues in his final season, fumbling four times. He will need to clean that up to earn extended opportunities in the pros, but the Falcons didn’t seem concerned that it would be a lingering issue. They also expressed confidence that he’ll help on special teams.
Allgeier believes he offers more as a receiver than his college numbers suggest. Allgeier caught 42 passes for 468 yards across the past two seasons. He can hold his own as a pass blocker, so he won’t necessarily need to come off the field on third downs. Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot referred to Allgeier as a four-down back multiple times.
“We didn’t really do that (pass to backs) a lot at BYU, but when I did, I made the most out of almost every opportunity,” Allgeier said.
Smith added: “He has an opportunity to earn (a bigger role). It’s good he wants to do it. There are a lot of things we asked our running backs to do. If he can do that, he’ll make himself a very valuable player on this football team.
“It’s pretty apparent the guy likes to run through people The yards after contact, he had 40 runs of 10-plus yards. He can create explosive plays. He grinds out runs. He gets stronger with volume.
“I think that’s a rare trait that a lot of people maybe value, maybe don’t. Certainly when you want to close games out, you like guys who can play strong in the fourth quarter.”
Snaps are available. The Falcons’ running back depth chart includes Swiss Army knife Cordarrelle Patterson, newcomer Damien Williams and Mike Davis. Allgeier’s power provides a different dynamic in the position group.
Perhaps Allgeier helps spark a mundane rushing attack. The Falcons ranked 31st in rushing last season averaging 85.4 yards per game. Their 3.7 yards per carry ranked 30th. Those numbers are despite the team unlocking Patterson during his career-best campaign. The Falcons also have a new running backs coach in Michael Pitre (who attended Allgeier’s Pro Day) after Desmond Kitchings left to become offensive coordinator at Virginia.
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