NBA Postseason Best Bets (5/17)
Alex Christenson
Last Updated: 7/28/2023
Braelon Allen is coming off his second straight 1,200-yard rushing season as he continues to be the motor that drives the Badgers’ offense. These back-to-back 1,200-yard seasons are even more impressive considering he is only 19 years old and is a converted linebacker/safety.
Allen has an imposing frame, standing 6-foot-2 and weighing in at 238 pounds, and uses every bit of it as a runner. He has very good lean and pad level at the point of contact and often delivers the blow as opposed to receiving it. Within this is an ability to explode into the defender much like a tackler would, allowing him to fall forward on almost every play, making him very effective in short-yardage situations. Now, at times he does struggle to win some leverage battles due to his height — this is common among taller running backs.
With his size, you would expect him to be a slower back, but that is not the case. Allen has home-run speed, making him a threat to break a big play on every touch. As more of a strider, it takes him a second to get to full speed, and sometimes struggles laterally or in a change of direction situation. He makes up for this by understanding leverage points and manipulating defenders out of position. He also has good upper-body bend around corners and transitions great from east/west to north/south — where he is at his best.
He marries his speed with good vision at all levels of the field, especially at the line of scrimmage. Allen also runs with good patience at times, but due to his long strides, some plays get stretched out for no gain. At times he also overruns his blocks or gets into the backs of his blockers, which can cause navigate plays.
As a pass catcher, his numbers will not make you turn your head, but they don’t tell an accurate story. Allen has had limited route exposure and will likely never be amongst the top route runners in the league, but he can get open. At the catch point, he is inconsistent but has shown impressive hand-eye coordination and average hands.
- Vision at the line of scrimmage
- Powerful runner
- North/south runner
- Top-end speed
- Leverage manipulation
- Limited pass-catching experience
- Lacks patience at times
- Limited burst/acceleration
- 2022: All-Big Ten second team (consensus), Guaranteed Rate Bowl Offensive MVP
- 2021: Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award finalist, Walter Camp Freshman All-American, Consensus second-team All-Big Ten, Las Vegas Bowl MVP.
- 40-yard dash: TBD
- Vertical: TBD
- Broad Jump: TBD
- Three-cone: TBD
- Shuttle: TBD
- Bench: TBD
- Early-down workhorse who could develop into a three-down player.
- A gap/smash-mouth-style run game is best, but he can produce in an interior zone.
At the moment, we are hoping for a Derrick Henry/Jonathan Taylor/Nick Chubb type role for Allen at the NFL level. With limited pass-catching upside, it could be hard to find his way into the top 10 discussions once he enters the NFL. If we see an improvement as a pass catcher, a top-five upside is well within reach.
As a devy player, he is one of the top names considering he will likely see another year of over 200 touches. Additionally, Luke Fickell and Phil Longo are bringing a new look to Madison. Fickell most recently elevated the Cincinnati program to relevance and Longo has been producing explosive offenses at UNC. It is a 180 from prior years, but a more explosive offense could open up wider lanes for Allen while creating more opportunities for him to find the end zone.
