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.
Billy Riccette of Jets Wire agrees: "It’s very, very early, but Allen, the team’s fourth-round pick out of Wisconsin, may already be the favorite to be Hall’s direct backup this season. During the media session Wednesday, Allen flashed his pass-catching skills to go along with his pass-protection skills.
The second RB for the Jets isn't likely to make much fantasy impact as long as Hall's healthy. Hall ranked 11th in the league in opportunity share last season, fourth from Week 5 on. That's when the Jets increased his workload, coming off the 2022 ACL tear.
Hall finished the year with 223 carries and 95 targets. Dalvin Cook ranked second on the team with 67 carries. He and Michael Carter tied for second among Jets RBs with 20 targets apiece.
Of course, running second in the backfield would put Allen just a Hall injury away from a much larger role. That will certainly make him worth selecting at some point in redraft leagues.
Allen faces the same issue in dynasty that he does in redraft. Hall will be the Jets' dominant lead back for the foreseeable future. His current contract runs through 2025. We'll see about Hall's status beyond that.
Allen's early emergence does at least help his longer-term status vs. other RBs the Jets have added in the past two drafts.
The group's biggest loser looks like Israel Abanikanda. A fifth-round pick last year, he has reportedly already worked behind both 2024 rookies in practice.
This year's fifth-round RB Isaiah Davis has reportedly followed Allen in order of reps, which makes sense after Davis followed Allen in the draft. We'll see through the summer how much he's competing with Allen for roles.
Don't be surprised if Allen starts climbing the ADP ranks on his strong spring reviews. He currently sits at the end of Round 18 in best ball ADP, in the same range as Ravens RB Keaton Mitchell, Chiefs RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire, and Raiders RB Alexander Mattison.
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