Atlanta Falcons’ Qadree Ollison is the next Mike Tolbert

The Falcons needed power back to compliment the running styles of Devonta Freeman and Ito Smith.

Qadree Ollison is the lone Falcons power back that likely will not have a lot of yards in a season, but will have an adequate number of touchdowns.

One of the strengths of Ollison’s game is his blocking ability. With the game of football evolving to players becoming faster and faster, power backs are starting to decrease across the NFL. To be a power back in today’s NFL, they must have blocking abilities.

Several good running backs are a more traditional power back like Leonard Fournette, Jordan Howard, and Mark Ingram. Those guys are starting-caliber running backs. For Ollison, it is harder to stay in the NFL as a power back when he is not a front-line starter.

Given his blocking ability and his running style of a power running back, he has the potential to be the next Mike Tolbert. Ollison becoming that type of player would be huge for the Falcons. Unlike a traditional fullback, Tolbert could make plays in the running game and catch the occasional pass out of the backfield. Ollison needs to watch Tolbert’s tape as he could have a similar career.

In his career, Tolbert played ten seasons in the league racking up 2,649 rushing yards, 34 rushing touchdowns, 1,861 receiving yards, and twelve touchdowns. Tolbert played five seasons with the Carolina Panthers, four seasons with the Chargers, and one season with the Buffalo Bills. For a role player, he had a nice career.

If Ollison can model himself after Tolbert, he can have a successful NFL career as a role player. His career yardage will likely be low but has the potential to rack up a lot of touchdowns.

The Falcons needed power back to compliment Devonta Freeman and Ito Smith and they found one with Ollison.