Georgia’s Linebacker CJ Allen Goes Through the Motions

It was tough to sit through 14 games watching Georgia inside linebacker CJ Allen on his 2024 game film.

And I love football, and I love scouting.

It was challenging because he flashed good (not great) straight-line speed 10% of the time.

But that hasn’t stopped the early hype from other draft media platforms.

Fox Sports, Pro Football Network, Draftwire, CBS, The Athletic, The McShay Report, ESPN, and USA Today have all mocked Allen as a first-round grade since May 1 (nflmockdraftdatabase.com).

I’m not on that ride.

Is it possible he could go in the first round?

Sure, anything is possible.

He plays for Georgia.

However, he’s not a first-round value. That’s not according to what I think. It’s what his game film revealed.

In my notes, I wrote, “I had to wait four games to see a difference-making play from Allen.”

Good news

What is Allen best at?

• Running when he’s left unblocked

That bodes well for pass coverage and blitzing (when he feels like it).

Bad news

What is Allen worst at?

• Taking on blocks

He’s inconsistent shedding run blocks (to say it nicely), and he’s toast if he is blocked on blitzes.

I can’t say I’ve ever seen a linebacker get bounced like this at the point of attack.

Talk about his effort

What effort?

Allen plays football half-heartedly the other 90% of the time, and that’s uninspiring on tape.

He lacks want, and want is critically important at this position.

JAG

That’s what Bill Parcells called them at the Jets. The acronym stands for “Just another guy.”

And that’s what Allen is on game film.

There’s absolutely nothing special about him in the games I watched.

Nothing dominant.

Nothing elite.

I watched every play during the season.

Lack of instincts

• Hesitant
• Reluctant
• Tentative

These are three descriptive words NFL teams don’t want to hear when it comes to an inside linebacker.

I noticed it on passing and running plays. It’s like he has to see it before making his move.

Inconsistent in another area

Tackling is one of the most important qualities of an inside linebacker, and Allen is unreliable in this department.

There’s more to the story than his 76 combined tackles (49 solo) in 2024.

It’s the fact that most of these solo tackles came when he was unblocked. It’s also about all the tackles he missed, and it’s about all the times he took his foot off the gas and ended up being around the pile, instead of being in on the stop.

It didn’t even feel like he was in on 76 tackles while studying his film.

NFL thoughts

I’m not seeing how Allen moves the meter at the next level, and I’m questioning how important the game of football is to him.

I evaluated inside linebacker Nakobe Dean coming out of the University of Georgia. I gave Dean a top-10 grade. Unfortunately, Dean has dealt with the injury bug with the Eagles after being selected in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft (No. 83).

I loved Dean. Allen is no Nakobe Dean.

Inside linebackers are like safeties; a prospect needs to be special to get selected in the first round.

Allen isn’t fitting that description.

#3 CJ Allen 6-foot-1, 235 pounds

Daniel Kelly’s 2025 Fall Grade: Fifth-Round (I would not select him)

Projected by NFL Mock Draft Database to be a First-Round prospect as of September 12, 2025

2024 game film evaluated: Clemson, Tennessee Tech, Kentucky, Alabama, Auburn, Mississippi State, Texas, Florida, Ole Miss, Tennessee, UMASS, Georgia Tech, Texas, and Notre Dame (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

Note: He turned it on at the end of the Georgia Tech game

2026 NFL Draft Scouting Report

More of a pressure and assist prospect than a sack and tackle prospect. Methodical alpha type. Lacks a sense of urgency. Athletic, but has some stiffness in his movements and change of direction. Flashed short-area burst. Good range when he is freed up. Decent looking in coverage. Sometimes goes in the wrong play direction.

What to watch for during the 2025 college football season

1. Motor?

2. Shedding run blocks consistently?

3. What does his playing speed look like during the games?

Daniel Kelly is a former NFL Scout with the New York Jets. He was hired on the regime which featured Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Scott Pioli, Mike Tannenbaum, and Dick Haley. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief for First Round Mock, and has written for Sports Illustrated (Lions, Jets, and 49ers), NFL Draft Diamonds, and Yardbarker, as well as a featured guest on ESPN Radio and Fox Sports Radio. Featured in USA Today. For more information about him visit his website at whateverittakesbook.com. Follow on Twitter @firstroundmock.