Falcons RB Tyler Allgeier 'Special', Says Calais Campbell

Atlanta Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier posted 1,035 yards and three touchdowns in his rookie campaign.

If anybody is familiar with dangerous rushing options, it's current Atlanta Falcons defensive end Calais Campbell. 

Before signing a one-year, $7 million deal with Atlanta last month, the 15-year NFL veteran spent three years on the Baltimore Ravens, matching up against dangerous dual-threat quarterback Lamar Jackson. 

And before that, Campbell spent three seasons on the Jacksonville Jaguars, matching up twice a year against Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry. 

So when Campbell, a six-time Pro Bowler, speaks highly of a running back, it should carry heavy weight. 

“I saw a very potent run game which is on par with who Arthur Smith as a coach is,” Campbell said. “Being able to …..that wide zone, cut back, foot in the ground. [Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier], he looked special as a rookie coming out of BYU. I was like…I didn’t know he was going to be that good, but when you watch him on tape, he was special.”

Allgeier, a fifth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft out of BYU, rushed for 1,035 in his rookie campaign, breaking a 43-year-old Falcons record for a first-year player. 

But Allgeier didn't do it alone, with backfield counterparts Cordarrelle Patterson and Caleb Huntley contributing a combined 1,061 yards on the ground for a Falcons offense that ranked third in the league. 

“(Cordarrelle Patterson) and then even (Caleb) Huntley, they had a three-headed monster of running backs who were going out there and making big plays,” Campbell said. “The play action game is going to open up.”

If Allgeier can continue the momentum he found in the final six games of the year, where he led the NFL in rushing yards (537), "special" might be an understatement from Campbell. 

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Follow Riley Sheppard on Twitter @RileyDSheppard.

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