When the New York Jets selected running back Braelon Allen in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, many thought they were picking up a role player to complement star running back Breece Hall. While Allen barely got any run in the season opener, in the last two weeks he’s been one of the Jets’ most potent offensive weapons and a serious draft steal.
Jets rookie RB Braelon Allen has poked fun at the NFL Combine
Despite a productive three-year career at Big Ten powerhouse Wisconsin which saw him post two 1200+ yard rushing seasons and at least 11 rushing touchdowns all three seasons, Allen was mostly an afterthought in the 2024 running back class.
The 6-1 235-pound back was the 10th running back selected in the draft yet through three weeks he’s arguably been the most productive. On the year, Allen is averaging 5.1 yards per carry rushing the ball 19 times for 96 yards and a rushing touchdown while also hauling in 6 passes for 45 yards and a touchdown through the air. This production has made him Pro Football Focus’s third-highest-graded running back on the season with a stellar 83.6 mark.
Allen joked after the Jets’ trouncing of New England in week three that everyone wanted to see him run in his underwear to determine if he was good at football, attributing his draft slide to his decision not to run the 40-yard dash and three-cone shuttle at the NFL Combine.
As a result, many pegged Allen as purely a short yardage back, assuming his large frame and strength would play well there but that he lacked the speed and agility to contribute in other areas. He was also rarely featured in Wisconsin’s passing game which furthered the assumption that he’d simply be a one-dimensional role player in the NFL.
For Jets fans, however, Allen’s production is no surprise as he tore up training camp and preseason. What we’re seeing now in live-game action is that Allen has surprising speed to get to the corner on outside runs while running violently through arm tackles and showing surprisingly refined receiving chops in the passing game. He’s got more than enough juice to be a true offensive weapon and not just a big body brought out for short-yardage and goalline scenarios.
- The Jets’ offensive line has been an elite unit so far in 2024
- Jets: Joe Douglas’s controversial draft strategy is paying dividends
- Jets narrowly avoid another season-ending injury vs. Patriots
Allen is just scratching the surface of his potential
At just 20-years-old Allen is the youngest player in the NFL which is a scary thought considering at a chiseled 235 pounds he still has room to grow and further develop his frame while maintaining his surprising speed. Physically, while he’s already dominant, he can grow into one of the more freakishly size-speed athletes at the running back position as his body matures.
Leading up to the draft, scouts noted that Allen’s vision to pick out rushing lanes behind the line, and also find identify open field space as a running was lacking. As such a young player, these are skills that he can learn with experience. Furthermore, it’s important to remember that Allen played safety in high school and originally committed to Wisconsin to play safety and linebacker.
Despite three years in a run-heavy offense at Wisconsin, Allen is very much still learning the nuances of playing running back, which makes his early production at the highest level all the more impressive. If he can up his mental game to match his immense physical talent he can become a truly dynamic playmaker in his own right.
It’s still early, but the rest of the NFL should be put on notice. The New York Jets scored a mid-round gem in Braelon Allen.
