The New York Jets take in young talent by drafting former Wisconsin standout Braelon Allen, the youngest player in this year’s draft class.
The Fond du Lac native is only 20 years old and ran for more than 100 yards in 20 games at Wisconsin while piling up 3,494 rushing yards in his collegiate career, ranking him No. 9 on UW’s all-time rushing list. He led Wisconsin with 984 rushing yards at 5.4 yards per carry with 12 touchdowns last season, playing in 11 games and starting in nine.
While only a rookie, NFL gave him a prospect grade of 6.10, seeing him as a “good back up with the potential to develop into a starter.”
Braelon Allen NFL Draft Scouting Report
Allen is a young, talented running-back and can make a case for being one of the better running-back in this year’s draft class. Standing at 6’1″, 235 pounds, he makes an interesting yet rare build for this position, but is able to withstand a heavy workload.
“He plays with a wide base and impressive balance, allowing him to stay on his feet through all kinds of tackle attempts.” Bleacher Report’s Scouting Report said on Allen. “He also has the power in his legs to consistently push the pile and fall forward through contact to pick up those extra bits of hidden yardage.”
Allen stands out in a way that he looks to continue the positive trend of running backs living up to expectations. Wisconsin really hasn’t had a ‘good’ first rounder since Jonathan Taylor. He has great production and value, but Ian Cummings of Pro Football Network says that while this is intriguing, he could be lost in the RB class. There’s nothing that Allen has that makes him stand out from the rest, which could end up hurting him.
“The metrics and production support Allen’s early-round bid, but it doesn’t always translate on tape. Allen doesn’t quite show off the elite explosiveness up field that his numbers suggest. And while he does have solid vertical speed once he gets going, he’s a linear runner who lacks great agility, fluidity, or creative instincts.”
Reaction to Being Drafted to the New York Jets
The Jets made their first third day pick in the draft at No. 134 when they selected Allen to be the newest member of the team. The 20-year-old described his excitement, nothing but pure joy and happiness all around.
‘It was an incredible, incredible feeling,” Hall told Jets media. “A lot of backs were flying off the board. We knew eventually it was going to come, but obviously we waited around a little longer than we had hoped for and maybe even than we expected. But once I got that call, it was a great feeling. Nothing but joy and happiness and I’m very excited to be apart of this organization.”
Braelon Allen Highlights
The running-back does have some accolades under his belt, however. He was named to the Second-team All-Big Ten Conference two years in a row, led Wisconsin with 1,268 rushing yards and 12 rushing TD’s in 2021, was a Las Vegas Bowl MVP, named to Third-team All-Big Ten Conference in 2023 and led the team with 984 rushing yards and 12 rushing TDs before declaring for the draft prior to his senior year.
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