Devonta Freeman played all 16 games as a rookie for the Atlanta Falcons last season, but he had a minimal role with just 65 carries for 248 yards, 30 receptions for 225 yards and two total touchdowns. Steven Jackson will not be back with the Falcons and Jacquizz Rodgers signed with the Chicago Bears in free agency, so Freeman has an opportunity to become Atlanta’s No. 1 running back heading into his second season.

Freeman got first-team practice reps throughout OTAs and is currently the favorite to start Week 1, but rookie Tevin Coleman is fully expected to push for a significant role right away. Antone Smith is working his way back to full strength after suffering a broken leg last season, and he is also in the mix for some carries as Atlanta’s likely No. 3 running back.

Falcons’ head coach Dan Quinn talked up Freeman’s route-running ability after minicamp, while stopping short of declaring anyone the early winner in a position battle with Coleman. Coleman missed the final day of Atlanta’s minicamp with what was deemed a mild groin strain, but the injury does not appear to be a big issue and an equal battle for the starting job is surely coming when training camp starts.

New Falcons’ offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan has a solid history at the helm of productive rushing attacks during his previous stops, and it’s worth noting that he essentially hand-picked Coleman as a good fit for his scheme. So while Freeman’s experience advantage (however minimal) gives him an edge at this point, it may only be a matter of time before that changes dramatically.

Assuming full health for all involved, while dismissing Smith as a serious contender to start right now, I think Freeman will have to clearly outperform Coleman during camp and preseason games to be atop the depth chart for the Falcons. I also don’t really see that happening, so being part of an equally split backfield committee looks like the best-case scenario for Freeman when the regular season starts.

Brad Berreman is a Senior Writer at Rant Sports.com. Follow him on Twitter.