PRO 2024 Rookie Spotlight: Braelon Allen, RB Wisconsin
Rookie Spotlight: Braelon Allen, Wisconsin
Height: 6-2 (unofficial)
Weight: 238 (unofficial)
2024 Age: 20 – (1/20/04)
Hands:
Arm:
40-yard dash: 4.50 (projected)
NFL Play-Style Comparison: Todd Gurley
Draft Grade: 2nd Round
1,000+ Rushing Seasons: 2 (2021, 2022)
Offensive Market Share Metrics (Final Season)
Carries: 40%
Receptions: 10%
Scrimmage Yards: 22%
Scrimmage TDs: 33%
Total Production Percentage: 26.5%
High School: Fon Du Lac (Fon Du Lac, WI)
As a high school prospect: Class of 2021; 4-star
College Attended: Wisconsin
Pros
– Freshman All-American, and Two-Time All-Big Ten second team
– quick feet at times to sidestep defenders or adjust speed
– great burst at hand-off
– 90+ rushing yards in 23 of 34 career games.
– great ability to understand where he is, and leap/fall for the extra yard
– 32% of carries went for first downs in 2023
– very young
Cons
– 9 fumbles in three seasons, 4 in 2021 and 2023 respectively.
– downhill running style can distract his ability to be a versatile runner – turns his vision off.
– often runs towards the contact, thus limiting some runs or turning the ball over
– receiving is not his forte, but he was present with 49 career receptions, growing each of his three seasons (8, 13, 28)
Scouting Notes:
Originally a part of the 2022 recruiting class, Braelon Allen reclassified to the 2021 class during the summer of 2020, causing him to be the youngest player in the 2024 NFL Draft. Allen started 24 of 34 career games at Wisconsin while averaging 17 carries per game over three seasons and finishing ninth in school history with 3,494 rushing yards. He has prototypical NFL size in the 1970s with the athleticism of the 2010s, Allen’s play style reminds me of a Todd Gurley from Georgia, at times leaving a generous amount of surface area to tacklers, while also acknowledging conflict and at times attacking it – in the open field he is similar to Gurley in that both can take the ball 90 yards to the house, but it’s not their strong suit. At just 20 years old, Allen is likely to complete a third contract in the NFL before the age of 28, a positive and negative for the running back position in the current state.
Fantasy Outlook:
If you scroll through the X timeline and consume any fantasy football rookie content, you will soon realize that the 2024 running back class is a heavily debated topic, with up to six different running backs slated as peoples “top” back in the class – the cost or value will be subjective depending on your specific draft. In all likelihood, Allen is looking at early Round 2 dynasty rookie draft capital while bringing a major boom upside to the table. As recently as 2022 we were gifted Tyler Allgeier from BYU, who in year one as a fourth-round draft pick finished with 1,035 rushing yards, 16 receptions and 4 touchdowns on his way to a Top 30 fantasy season. Allen can use that as a floor at the next level, with back-to-back-to-back, double-digit touchdown seasons at Wisconsin, Allen is no slouch in the scoring department.
