Jets add bruiser Braelon Allen to backfield
The New York Jets selected Wisconsin running back Braelon Allen in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, 134th overall.
Allen is the latest in a long line of productive Badger runners, eclipsing 1,200 rushing yards twice and 900 yards in all three of his collegiate seasons.
He's also the youngest player in the draft at just 20 years old.
Pre-draft profile
Running backs don't get much more imposing than this. Allen checks in at 6-foot-1, 235 pounds, but even those measurements don't do justice to the effortless manner in which he can plow through defenders. The Wisconsin product is a physical runner who reads blocks well and is shiftier than you might think for a player of his size. His long speed is also better than expected, but it understandably takes some time for him to build up to his top gear. Allen has reliable hands, but he likely won't offer any sort of plus traits as a receiver out of the backfield. He's best suited for an early-down workhorse role on a team that wants to pound the rock. That's tough to come by in today's game, but Allen could be a highly productive player in the right system.