BYU Players in the NFL: Tyler Allgeier was massively underutilized by the Atlanta Falcons in 2024
Tyler Allgeier joined the Atlanta Falcons as a fifth round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. As a rookie he went on to break the Falcons all-time rookie rushing record with 1,035 yards, averaging a healthy 4.9 yards per carry.
So what did Atlanta do the following season? They violated one of the NFL’s most commonly-held truths that teams should not invest Top 10 picks in running backs by selecting Bijan Robinson at No. 8 overall.
Most smart NFL franchises know taking a running back early isn’t the best use of draft capital, but the Falcons aren’t really known for being a smart NFL franchise. There’s a reason Atlanta has had a losing record and missed the playoffs for seven straight seasons now despite playing in the middling NFC South.
Instead of riding with Tyler Allgier, a young 1,000-plus yard running back playing on a delicious rookie contract, the Falcons have force-fed Bijan Robinson for the last two seasons. Allgeier still remains an important player, but an underutilized one.
It has been frustrating over the last two seasons for me as a BYU fan to watch Tyler not being able to fully display his talents with the Falcons. The 2024 season was the most frustrating of them all.
Tyler Allgeier’s Season Overview
Man, Tyler Allgeier is so, so good when he has the ball in his hands! He averaged 4.7 yards per carry and gained 2.6 yards after contact. At that rate, if he averaged just 15 carries per game over a 17 game season, he would rush for approximately 1,200 yards. If he played for almost any other NFL team, that’s what he would be doing every season.
There’s a reason Pro Football Focused graded him out as the No. 8 running back in the entire league in 2024.
But rather than churning out 1,000-plus yard seasons as a Top 10 running back, Tyler Allgeier plays for the Atlanta Falcons, a team that used a Top 10 overall pick in Bijan Robinson and now needs to justify that selection despite relatively equal production from both backs.
Now, PFF ranked Bijan Robinson as the No. 2 running back in the NFL and he’s a great player, but the gap between him and Allgeier as rushers is very small.
Here’s how Tyler Allgeier’s rushing performance compared to Bijan Robinson’s in 2024:
