Aug 17, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; New York Jets helmets during the second half against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Jets Young Playmaker Turning Heads As 'Under-The-Radar' Star

Originally posted on New York Jets on SI
By Zach Pressnell | Last updated Sep 1, 2025 10:04 AM ET

The New York Jets have made a lot of moves over the last few months, and most of these moves have pushed the team in the right direction.

On defense, the Jets added Aaron Glenn, a defensive-minded coach, as their head coach alongside a few personnel upgrades. On offense, the Jets made a lot of big changes.

They added to and upgraded the offensive line in a big way, headlined by the addition of Armand Membou. They also added Justin Fields at quarterback. With these two upgrades in mind, it seems clear that the Jets are going to run their offense through the ground game, backed by a very impressive running back room.

The Athletic's Jourdan Rodrigue cited a report from Zack Rosenblatt that discussed how talented Jets backup running back Braelon Allen is. Allen has the potential to emerge as the top back in a running back room with Breece Hall in it.

Braelon Allen is a star in the making for the Jets

“One of the stars of the summer. He looked bigger, faster, stronger and showed improved skills in the passing game too. Coaches raved about him in a way to make me believe he’s going to be a legitimate 1B to Breece Hall’s 1A, if not overtaking him completely as the lead back at some point," Rosenblatt wrote.

Allen and Hall are likely going to be 1A and 1B, as Rosenblatt suggests, rather than running back one and running back two.

In some cases, there are a lot of Jets fans who would prefer Allen to be the one running the ball over Hall. Now, Hall is a better receiving back and there's not enough sample size to determine how good of an NFL blocker Allen is, but in the pure run game, Allen might be the best back on the roster.

Either way, he's bound to take a big step forward this season. He's in incredible shape and has looked dominant and explosive in the preseason. The Jets will have an additional weapon to use this season, and Allen could be their breakout star.

This article first appeared on New York Jets on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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