Of the 13 running backs drafted last week, Allen ranked second with 57 missed tackles forced. What's more, he was one of the best at picking up yards after contact. He ranked second behind in the category behind only Jeremiyah Love amond drafted running backs and averaged 3.77 yards per attempt after contact.
The best part is that Allen knows how to take care of the ball through all that contact. Over the last two seasons, during which he had 430 carries, Allen only fumbled the ball twice. It's an area of Allen's skill set that he takes "great pride in."
"You got everybody's dreams and aspirations in your hands," Allen said. "So, I take great pride in it, and that's something I won't do. I take pride in not doing turnovers and stuff. That's not who I am. And [the] football, I take great care of because I love football and I don't want nobody else taking my dream aspiration in a way."
“Allen was not viewed as a speedster during the draft process. He didn't record a 40 time at the combine, but anyone watching his film from the last four seasons would see that it isn't a big part of his skill set.
Instead, Allen is more of a patient runner, and more times than not, that patience tends to pay off for him.
Teams were certainly aware of Allen's style, as 27% of his carries -- the most in the class -- came against heavy boxes. However, he still managed to average 4.8 yards per carry in those situations, and only 11% of his runs failed to gain yardage. But there's more; Allen tied for seventh in his class last year with 30 runs of 10-plus yards. Georgia's Mike Washington Jr., who was drafted two rounds earlier, shared that number, and he did so with a 4.33 40 time.
And Allen has found ways to create explosive plays without possessing top-tier speed. He and Washington tied for fourth in the class in designed rushing attempts of 15-plus yards. Allen ranked second behind Love among drafted running backs in breakaway yards, and he picked up 70 first downs from rushing attempts -- the second-best in the class.
So, no, Allen doesn't fit the modern mold of a speedy running back, but he does find ways to put up similar numbers and even surpass them.”
The Washington Commanders added a new weapon to the backfield with Penn State running back Kaytron Allen. Here are five things to know about the former Nittany Lion.
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