Jets fourth-round rookie RB Braelon Allen "has been one of the biggest standouts during OTA practices," according to Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic. Rosenblatt calls Allen the "clear frontrunner" for the No. 2 job behind Breece Hall, "especially because of his emergence as a legitimate option as a pass-catcher. That's especially noteworthy for Allen, who got little credit for his receiving ability coming out of Wisconsin. He totaled 49 catches across three starting seasons and averaged a mere 5.6 yards per catch.
The Jets selected South Dakota State RB Isaiah Davis in Round 5 of the NFL Draft. If you value productive RBs, Davis is your guy. Across four seasons at South Dakota State, the 218-pounder racked up 677 carries, 4,552 yards (6.7 YPC) and 50 TDs. He hit 1,400+ rushing yards in his junior and senior seasons. Now, the heavy workloads might be some cause for concern long-term. He missed eight career games across 2021-2022 – all with a shoulder. Davis didn’t miss time last fall, though, and the tape is undeniably impressive. The Missouri native runs hard at nearly 220 pounds, yet he moves like a satellite back. ESPN analyst Louis Riddick said Davis has “vision and feet/jump cut skills as good as any runner in [the] draft.” The 22-year-old earned every yard, too. Per PFF, Davis ran into heavy boxes (7+ defenders) on ~82% of his carries. That mark led the class – along with his 6.6 yards per carry in such situations. Davis isn’t a zero in the passing game, but he lacks reliable hands and a developed route tree. He joins fourth-round rookie Braelon Allen in the Jets’ backfield, behind Breece Hall. It’s a rough spot for Davis’ dynasty value.
The Jets took Wisconsin RB Braelon Allen in Round 4 of the 2024 NFL Draft. Allen is the youngest player in this entire draft class, turning just 20 back in January. He exploded as a 17-year-old true freshman in 2021, running for 1,268 yards and 12 TDs on 6.8 yards per carry. But by most measures, that was his best season at Wisconsin. Allen topped 1,200 rushing yards again in 2022, but his yards per carry, yards after contact per carry, and missed tackles forced per attempt all sunk from the previous season. Then his usage and production took a hit in a pass-heavier Wisconsin offense last year. Allen carried 181 times for 984 yards (5.4 YPC) and 12 TDs. He at least rebounded in yards after contact per attempt, ranking 29th among 157 qualifiers. But Allen ranked just 97th among those 157 RBs with a career-worst 78.6 Pro Football Focus rushing grade. The burly 6’1, 235-pounder runs with good vision and has better long speed than you’d expect. But he doesn’t always play to his size and doesn’t possess much wiggle. It’s also worth noting that Allen suffered shoulder, right leg, and left ankle injuries, plus a concussion, during his three years at Wisconsin. Allen joins a Jets backfield that will be dominated by Breece Hall for the foreseeable future. The rookie will duke it out with 2023 fifth-round pick Israel Abanikanda for scraps.
Search
