Qadree Ollison

Ollison didn't play until Week 9 but finished the 2021 campaign with 21 rushes for 105 yards and one score while adding four receptions for 12 yards across eight games. Atlanta cut Mike Davis this offseason, but re-signed Cordarrelle Patterson, drafted Tyler Allgeier and added Damien Williams in free agency, so barring injury, it's unlikely Ollison garners a substantial role to start the 2022 campaign.

A fifth-round pick in 2019, Ollison appeared to have stumbled into a prime position after the Falcons let go of Todd Gurley and then opted to replace him with two castoffs in Mike Davis and Cordarrelle Patterson. The 24-year-old has four touchdowns across a miniscule sample size, but a paltry 2.3 yards-per-carry average seems to signal an inefficient runner. Alas, Ollison was sent packing in early September, replaced by Wayne Gallman.

Ollison was a bona fide touchdown vulture throughout his rookie campaign, establishing a meager 2.3 yard-per-carry average on 22 attempts but trailing only Josh Jacobs and David Montgomery in TD runs among the 2019 draft class with four. Ollison's offensive role makes his inefficient YPC figure somewhat misleading, as he was frequently deployed near the goal line and gained just 1.3 yards per carry before contact while working behind the Falcons' subpar run-blocking assemblage. He's powerful enough as a rusher to bowl through defenders and punch in a handful of TDs again during 2020 if utilized in a similar manner to last year, but it will be challenging to predict when those scores may arrive, as he'll be splitting backup carries with both Brian Hill and Ito Smith behind Todd Gurley.

The fifth-round pick out of Pitt joins a Falcons backfield looking to replace Tevin Coleman's snaps while also creating some insurance for injury-prone Devonta Freeman at the top of the depth chart. Ollison is used to waiting his turn - after filling in for James Conner as a collegiate freshman during the latter's battle with cancer, Ollison returned to a bench role for a couple years before coming up big again in his final season. He's tough to bring down due to his power and balance and has good top-end speed, though his long stride takes a while to get there. He could also use more aggressiveness, both at the point of attack and when finishing his runs. Ollison has the raw athleticism and work ethic to become an asset as a receiver and blocker, and while his initial touches likely will be limited behind Freeman and Ito Smith, in the long run he could prove a better fit for new offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter's system than either of the holdovers.