Davis Allen NFL Draft Overview
Position: Tight end
Height: 6′-6″
Weight: 249 pounds
School: Clemson
2023 NFL Draft: Davis Allen Scouting Report
2019 was Davis Allen’s first season at Clemson. In that season he played in five games for the Tigers, making a total of five catches for 53 yards without a touchdown. During his second season with the purple and orange, Allen played in 11 games, making 16 catches for 247 yards and four touchdowns. In 2021, Allen continued his consistent and productive play for the Tigers, playing in 12 games while recording 28 catches for a total of 208 yards and three touchdowns. In his final season in 2022, Allen set personal bests in games played (14): catches (39), yards (443), and touchdowns (five).
Strengths
- Makes catches where athleticism is required;
- Consistent with all aspects of the position;
- Is able to use his body, in space, to create completion opportunities;
- Sound biomechanics as a blocker;
- Keeps space between himself and the defenders, when getting open.
Weaknesses
- Hand-fighting skills are subpar;
- Does not run have an imposing NFL-type build;
- Difficulty with blocking assignments aside from run blocking;
- Pace and tempo of route running are not consistent;
- Does not deliver jarring hits as a blocker in the run game.
NFL Comparison: O.J. Howard
Teams With Need At Position: Jacksonville Jaguars, Cincinnati Bengals, Los Angeles Rams, Green Bay Packers, Miami Dolphins
Projection: Rounds 5- 6
Bottom Line on Davis Allen
Allen is a consistently performing tight-end prospect. He has the athleticism to make difficult catches. His biggest asset, which will likely appeal to NFL teams, is his ability to use his body to keep the defender away from the ball in a way that only he can make the grab. What also may set Allen apart from other prospects is the maturity and leadership qualities he exuded at Clemson, which could help a team (especially, a younger team) off the field.
Allen also has sound biomechanics as a run-blocker but does not deliver much force when blocking. He will also need to improve his hand-fighting ability and his all-around blocking ability, as well. He also does not run the most consistent routes related to his timing, which could hamper his rhythm with his quarterback from one rep to the next.
Additionally, some scouts feel he does not have an overly imposing frame, though he does stand at an above NFL tight end height average of 6′-5″, at 6′-6″, and is comparable, weight-wise, to other prospects in the 2023 class that are projected to be higher picks than him.
Some scouts would argue that Allen may have been better off playing another year as a graduate student or graduate transfer, to refine his skills, especially his hand-fighting, power (when run blocking, especially), and overall blocking ability in general, which could have made him a higher round pick in the 2024, NFL draft. Nevertheless, while Allen does have some work to do, there is no doubt a team will be willing to give him an opportunity based on his catch-making ability and consistent play attributes alone, at some point in either rounds five or six.
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