Getty The Falcons have "heavy interest" in this SEC rushing star.
Running back is a position with more than a few question marks for the Atlanta Falcons headed into the 2022 NFL season. Cordarrelle Patterson led the way last year, but the hybrid playmaker may be required to play more snaps at wide receiver this season, to make up for the Falcons’ lack of options at the position.
Patterson being asked to split out wide more often would leave Mike Davis to vie for the lead back role. Davis disappointed mightily after signing from the Carolina Panthers last offseason, so he can expect to be pushed by this year’s free-agent arrival Damien Williams.
There’s still room for another playmaker in the backfield, so the Falcons might draft a running back. In fact, the franchise is credited by one NFL reporter with “heavy interest” in a versatile back who starred during three seasons in the SEC.
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Falcons Among Queue of Suitors Keen on RB
One rookie running back who could make his way to Atlanta is Isaiah Spiller. The Falcons are among a long list of suitors keen on the Texas A&M ace, according to Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network:
Texas A&M RB Isaiah Spiller @isaiah_spiller told @PFN365 he’ll do Texans’ local Pro Day Monday; ‘That would be great staying home, I think I could be a great asset’; top 30 visit with Bills; heavy interest Falcons, Buccaneers, Commanders; Zooms with Ravens, Packers #NFLDraftNews
There is room for Spiller on the depth chart, despite the presence of Davis and Williams. Both veterans can be tough runners inside, but neither offer the big-play capability Spiller possesses.
Spiller has showcased his flair for gaining yards in chunks during the last two years with the Aggies, per PFF Draft:
Most runs of 10+ yards by SEC RBs since 2020:
Isaiah Spiller – 63
Speed, elusiveness, instincts and timing are the key traits in Spiller’s game. Those are qualities he has been refining during the pre-draft process.
Part of that work has seen Spiller spend time with noted athletic trainer, Rischad Whitfield, known as “The Footwork King.” Whitfield has worked with the likes of Le’Veon Bell and Odell Beckham Jr. in the past.
Few people have impressed Whitfield as much as Spiller. The trainer told Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 Houston how Spiller’s “jump cuts” and work “inside the numbers” are without equal:
High praise for @isaiah_spiller from @Footwork_King2:
“It’s not a speed game, Football is played inside the numbers and I’ve never seen anyone do it better than him.”
Spiller: “I feel like I can do it all and I’ve done it in the SEC consistently the past 3 years…”
Add in useful receiving chops that helped Spiller catch 74 passes for 585 yards in his collegiate career, per Sports Reference, and he would offer the Falcons a complete back.
Spiller Would Free Patterson to Help Passing Game
Spiller has the one-cut-and-go mentality that often leads to big gains on the ground. It’s something the Falcons need after managing just two runs of over 20 yards last season.
Patterson handled the rushing chores, but he averaged only 3.99 yards per carry. Bigger gains were more common whenever Patterson acted as a receiver.
He averaged 10.54 yards on 52 catches. Patterson is also more of a threat as a receiver than a runner in the red zone, per PFF ATL Falcons:
Cordarrelle Patterson has a 92.3 Receiver Grade in the red zone since 2020
No one in the NFL is better ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Falcons are likely to need Patterson’s ability to play wideout more often this season. Calvin Ridley is suspended for 2022 because of gambling violations, while Russell Gage jumped ship to join Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in free agency.
Those developments mean the Falcons are left with several unconvincing options at the position. They include recent signings Auden Tate, KhaDarel Hodge and Damiere Byrd.
This unheralded trio will join the returning Olamide Zaccheaus and Frank Darby. The group would look a lot stronger with Patterson getting more reps at receiver.
Similarly, adding Spiller to a running back room already featuring Williams, Davis and Qadree Ollison, would give the Falcons a stronger supporting cast around new quarterback Marcus Mariota.
unning back is a position with more than a few question marks for the Atlanta Falcons headed into the 2022 NFL season. Cordarrelle Patterson led the way last year, but the hybrid playmaker may be required to play more snaps at wide receiver this season, to make up for the Falcons’ lack of options at the position.
Patterson being asked to split out wide more often would leave Mike Davis to vie for the lead back role. Davis disappointed mightily after signing from the Carolina Panthers last offseason, so he can expect to be pushed by this year’s free-agent arrival Damien Williams.
There’s still room for another playmaker in the backfield, so the Falcons might draft a running back. In fact, the franchise is credited by one NFL reporter with “heavy interest” in a versatile back who starred during three seasons in the SEC.
unning back is a position with more than a few question marks for the Atlanta Falcons headed into the 2022 NFL season. Cordarrelle Patterson led the way last year, but the hybrid playmaker may be required to play more snaps at wide receiver this season, to make up for the Falcons’ lack of options at the position.
Patterson being asked to split out wide more often would leave Mike Davis to vie for the lead back role. Davis disappointed mightily after signing from the Carolina Panthers last offseason, so he can expect to be pushed by this year’s free-agent arrival Damien Williams.