Geronimo Allison, WR Illinois
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 195 lbs
40 yard dash: 4.54 (unofficial)
NFL Comparison: Dezmin Lewis, Allen Robinson, Brian Quick

 

Scouting Notes: With a name like Geronimo, people expect you to be fearless, and — at least on the field — Allison doesn’t disappoint. The usual M.O. for long, lanky receivers is to stretch the field and stay out of people’s way. Allison doesn’t prescribe to that notion. He’s a more than capable blocker, and he’s more than willing to prove it. Allison doesn’t shy away from contact in the least, running through would-be tacklers rather than around them, and his good health throughout his college career is a testament to his durability.

Maybe his humble beginnings at Iowa Western Community College before transferring to Illinois kept him from becoming a finesse WR out of the gate. Allison is comfortable playing all over the field while running routes short and long and to great effect. He high-points the ball and snatches it out it of the air, outmaneuvering defenders in the process. He’s great at beating defenders out of the cut as well, which is impressive for a man of his size. Allison isn’t especially fast, but he’s explosive and has deceptive head movement — which helps him separate from defenders who might be quicker down the stretch. Allison’s size and tenacity make him an adroit red-zone target too. He makes catches in the end-zone that even Odell Beckham Jr.could appreciate.

Allison does have drop issues, he’s an 11% drop-rate guy, but it seems to be more an issue with focus than with his hands. And while he does fare well enough going deep, Allison doesn’t have the kind of deep speed to threaten secondaries on the regular. Fortunately for him, he’s athletic enough to bring the ball down in traffic.

Allison was a late-add at the Senior Bowl and while we didn’t get to see as much of him as some of the others in practice, he made the little time he did have in Mobile count. Allison was clearly the tallest WR at the Senior Bowl this year, so he was hard to miss and easy to focus on in drills. All of our notes consistently cast Allison in a positive light upon review back. Things we noticed were terrific hands despite the elevated drop-rate at Illinois, a big body and natural ability to frame the football, and the ability to use his body to separate like we saw out of Dezmin Lewis a few years back.

 

Fantasy Outlook: Allison’s on-field demeanor is already creating a buzz, especially after strong outings at the East-West Game and Senior Bowl, but his strong leadership skills are going to go a long way with prospective teams as well. He was voted team captain multiple times throughout his college career. If he adds a few pounds of muscle in the time between, Allison is going to be a formidable force in the NFL. His skill set reminds me of Allen Robinson, another big and tall WR who excels at intermediate routes and red-zone plays but who you can also go over the top to. If he lands on a WR needy team, Allison is talented and hungry enough to make a significant impact in year one.

JUCO Background (Via Illinois SID)

-Three-star recruit by ESPN.com, Rivals, Scout and 247Sports
-Ranked the No. 7 junior college WR by Rivals and the No. 73 overall JUCO prospect by Rivals
-Ranked the No. 15 JUCO wide receiver and the No. 73 overall JUCO player by 247Sports
-2013 second-team Junior College All-American and first-team All-Midwest Football Conference
-Led team to an 11-1 record in 2013, including a win over No. 5 Butler in the Graphic Edge Bowl, with 69 catches for 872 yards and eight touchdowns, leading the Midwest Football Conference in all three categories
-Iowa Western finished 2013 ranked No. 2 in the NJCAA final national poll
-Helped Iowa Western win the 2012 NJCAA National Championship with a perfect 11-0 record alongside former Illini Martize Barr and Dallas Hinkhouse