2022 NFL DRAFT PROSPECT REPORT
- Name: Austin Allen
- Position: Tight End
- School: Nebraska
- Height: 6'8"
- Weight: 253lbs
Film Watched: Minnesota 2021, Oklahoma 2021, NFLPA Bowl
Pro's:
- Big tight end with good length to be a factor both as a blocker and a receiver
- Plays with good pad height despite prohibitive height, arriving at contact with leverage
- Impressive lower body torque to move heavier opponents as a blocker
- Excels blocking on the run, either in a zone blocking scheme or pulling as a lead blocker
- Plays physical and doesn’t blink when making catches from suicide passes where contact is imminent
- A real safety blanket for the QB who can throw up to a spot only he can reach & come down with it
- Production exploded in 2021, tripling his receiving yards
- High character prospect and locker room leader – team captain and honor roll student-athlete
Austin Allen is a TE prospect in the 2022 draft class. He scored an unofficial 8.81 RAS at the Combine out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 113 out of 941 TE from 1987 to 2022. https://t.co/wQkLioH6Yb #RAS via @Mathbomb pic.twitter.com/YGt7rnk1ks
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) March 4, 2022
Con's:
- Lack of burst off the line of scrimmage, and laboured entry into his route stem
- Stiff at the top of his routes, gearing down to make sharp cuts & changes in direction
- Doesn’t have the straight line speed to work the seam and stress a defense vertically
- Disappointing as a redzone target, with just three touchdowns in 29 career games for Nebraska
- Insufficient pop through his hands as a blocker – his size & length not maximised on contact
The Verdict:
“Despite winning countless team and Big Ten accolades, Austin Allen didn’t rack up the stats during his time in Lincoln. Appreciated by his coaches and teammates for his dedication to every role he was asked to do, Allen has the feel of an all-rounder who has yet to truly maximise his capabilities on the football field. That should be seen as upside; Allen contradicts his frame and actually looks to be more suited to a role as an inline tight end at the next level, if he can get some more power through his upper body to complement the anchor and aggression he brings to his blocking duties. NFL teams will still look at him and expect more as a receiving threat, and he did provide glimpses of what he is capable of in his final season for the ‘Huskers. Allen is still a work in progress, moved better than expected at the combine, and offers enough promise to warrant a day three selection.”
Simon Carroll
Head Of NFL Draft Content
NFL COMPARISON: GAVIN ESCOBAR
PREDICTION: 6TH ROUND PICK
Rated 5 out of 5