Braelon Allen Needs a Good NFL Offensive Line to Be Good

I was excited to turn on the game film on Wisconsin’s Braelon Allen.

I’m old school, so I appreciate what it means to have a great running back in the NFL.

I grew up watching the likes of John Riggins (my favorite player of all time who played for the Jets and Redskins), Walter Payton (Bears), Eric Dickerson (Rams and Colts) and Barry Sanders (Lions).

All Hall of Famers.

While it’s become a pass-happy league, having a great back is still a real value.

That brings us back to Allen.

This article centers around 2022 because I’m attempting to look at two seasons from the top prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft.

It helps to have two seasons of perspective and not just the one before the NFL paychecks.

2022 big games for Allen:

Illinois State 148 yards

Ohio State 165 yards

Northwestern 135 yards

Michigan State 123 yards

Purdue 113 yards

Maryland 119 yards

Oklahoma State 116 yards

What does this Badgers running back look like on game film?

Allen is unique.

He has outstanding vision and patience.

Allen uses these characteristics to find creases (openings) at the line of scrimmage.

This Wisconsin running back takes what there is to take and nothing more.

He’s a cut-back runner with decent balance and building one-gear speed (lacks explosive burst). Allen has big broad shoulders and he’s tough to bring down once he gets going.

The problem is getting him going.

Runs high

Allen has an elongated back, which causes him to run high. He stands tall as a runner, which makes him an easy target for defenders at or near the line of scrimmage.

This is the primary issue with Allen.

It’s also why he bogs down often at or near the line of scrimmage.

Keeps at it

Allen is a selfless runner meaning he will run into a brick wall as many times as his coach calls his number.

It’s this endearing quality that allows Allen to eventually break off some big runs. He will keep chipping away at defenses until he finds that crease and then it’s off to the races.

Now, granted Allen often got caught out in the open, but he broke off some big runs in these four games of 2022 game film.

No nonsense

What you see is what you get from this Badgers running back.

He has average hands and isn’t one of these hybrid backs we see that are more like wide receivers than running backs. No, Allen is a pure running back. That’s how he will earn his pay at the next level.

In four games, I saw him throw a stiff-arm once.

Allen is a tough runner, but he isn’t fancy.

Not at all.

Needs to play behind a good run-blocking offensive line

Allen needs to go to an established team that has the big men up front that can create the running lanes he needs to thrive so he can get going and rumble downfield.

We can’t just watch highlights on this one.

Allen can’t go to a team with a bad offensive line or he will turn into former Giants first-round running back Ron Dayne really fast.

#0 Braelon Allen 6-foot-2, 245 pounds

Daniel Kelly’s Fall 2023 Grade: Third-Round (I would select him)

Projected by 11.0% of the NFL Draft Community to be a first-round pick as of December 4, 2023 (nflmockdraftdatabase.com)

Game film reviewed (2022): Michigan State, Nebraska, Ohio State, and Iowa (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

2022 stats: 230 carries for 1,242 yards (5.4 avg.), 11 touchdowns, 96-long

2024 NFL Draft Scouting Report

One gear cutback erect downhill runner who gives a solid effort. If a crease is there, he’ll find it. Featured in Wildcat formation (even threw short once). Breaks free when space is provided. Inconsistent physicality. Sometimes runs hard when he’s out of the pack. Sometimes looks soft at or near the line of scrimmage. Occasionally willingly ran out of bounds. Can overcome the first defender once he gets going. Struggled to win the edge. Inconsistent hands. Average catch radius.

What to watch for during the 2023 college football season

1. Running with a lower pad level?

2. Showing stiff-arm?

3. Creating runs on his own?

4. Catching passes consistently?

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, contributes at Yardbarker, and has written for Sports Illustrated Lions, Jets, and 49ers, as well as a featured guest on ESPN Radio and Fox Sports Radio. For more information about him visit his website at whateverittakesbook.com. He can be followed on Twitter @firstroundmock.