Braelon Allen by the Numbers
Breece Hall missed five weeks after delivering 61 touches for 165 yards and a touchdown for the Jets against the Titans, Packers, and Lions in September. Most notable in Hall's game were 10 catches for 102 yards, which made up nearly 50 percent of his total yardage.
Aaron Rodgers remarked early in his New York tenure that Hall was an excellent receiver -- not for a running back, but as a football player. This is important because it's an element that's limited in Braelon Allen's game.
I'm getting ahead of myself, because Allen has filled in admirably for Breece Hall, including three 100-yard rushing efforts and touchdowns in each. In five games as the starter, Allen has delivered 574 yards and 3 scores.
Allen and the Jets' offensive line have generated the highest yards-per-carry average (5.4) during that span -- tied with Ken Walker III -- when comparing his RB11 fantasy value to the rest of the top-12 fantasy backs. Allen has also caught 13 catches for 70 yards.
Has Allen earned a true committee split with Breece Hall, the franchise player the Jets extended? Or will we see Allen eventually return to a smaller role?
Today, we'll examine Allen's pre-draft scouting report, his tape against an average NFL run defense, and project his fantasy outlook for the rest of the year based on the variable that is Breece Hall.
Braelon Allen's Rookie Scouting Portfolio Pre-Draft Scouting Report
A three-year NFL veteran, Allen began his playing career at Wisconsin, bursting onto the scene because of his size, speed, and early production.
Here's my elevator pitch and a few other pre-draft thoughts on Allen from three years ago in the 2024 Rookie Scouting Portfolio Publication. A lot of what you're going to see on tape even now is in this review of Allen's game.
- RSP Ranking: RB11
- Jersey: No. 0
- Height/Weight: 6-1/235 School: Wisconsin
- Comparison Spectrum: Jamal Lewis – Mike Anderson – X/Chris Brooks – Rashaad Jennings – Kevan Barlow
- Depth of Talent Score: 81.6 = Rotational Starter: Executes at a starter level in a role playing to their strengths.
Games Tracked (Opponent/Date/Link):
- Michigan State ’22
- Iowa ’22
- Iowa ‘23
- Ohio State ‘23
- Minnesota ‘23
The Elevator Pitch: If you know the Allen career narratives, seeing him as RB11 is likely disappointing if you bought into them. If you didn’t, you probably expected Allen to be lower than his career-long buzz.
The truth is somewhere in between. Allen has enough talent to develop into a productive NFL starter. The strengths of Allen’s game are also too fragmented to count on Allen integrating them and reaching his full potential. Yet, if Allen finds the right fit that maximizes his strengths and minimizes his weaknesses, you might hear he’s the next Jamaal Lewis.
When I watched Allen, I often wondered what Miami Dolphins’ UDFA Chris Brooks would have looked like if he spent his entire career at Wisconsin. Allen is faster, but Brooks uses every ounce of his skills and has a tight overall game with few conceptual and technical flaws compared to Allen.
Big, strong, blessed with moments of impressive footwork, and a good enough accelerator to start in the NFL, the details of Allen’s game undermine his potential. He loses balance because his footwork isn’t refined in situations where it should be by now. He clicks his heels in scenarios that lead to him losing balance.
Despite his size, Allen turns his hips to the boundary and only tries to drop one pad into a defender his size or larger. Isaiah Spiller had the same problem at Texas A&M, and it minimized his potential as a power runner. Allen does the same when he doesn’t have the size to bully smaller defenders.
Conceptually, Allen still attempts cutbacks on gap plays where sticking to the play design would have been wiser. His ball security track record is also underwhelming for a player who should be winning between the tackles as a power runner.
Although Allen often plays too small, he has enough tape showing him playing big, fast, balanced, and agile. He can punish defenders with his pads and work through multiple hits, wraps, and reaches at various levels of the defense.
I love me some Denzel Ward, but Braelon Allen knows Ward was in the trucks only lane on this run. #Browns #Jets https://t.co/1pM71a1hnB
— Matt Waldman (@MattWaldman) November 4, 2026
Give Allen room to accelerate, and he can make house calls over a long distance. He’s also nimble enough to get his knees and feet high enough to avoid shots to his legs. He can pair moves together in succession, including lateral cuts.
Watch Allen’s game, and there are facets of reps that shine bright. These facets are like pieces to a jigsaw puzzle that promises to be a beautiful portrait of an NFL starter.
The problem is the pieces are supposed to fit together, but the puzzle factory worker cut a few of them wrong. Most of it snaps in place, but the parts that don’t matter, and the picture is incomplete.
If Allen can address these pieces, he could become a top NFL starter. If he finds a team that can minimize the importance of those missing pieces, fans might not see the holes in the puzzle as easily as those who study the position closely, and he still earns quality starter production. Think D’Andre Swift’s reputation but with a different style of play.
Where is the player inconsistent? Hip flip when changing direction and hip position when taking defenders head-on.
What is the best scheme fit? A power running game with compressed formations that can get Allen into an open field without a lot of defenders over the top of him to run him down quickly. To credit my friend, Chad Reuter at ESPN.com and NFL.com, Greg Roman’s offense with Jim Harbaugh and the Chargers would be the strongest fit on paper.
Cleveland’s ground game as an heir apparent to Nick Chubb could work out if Allen proves dedicated to mastering his craft.
What is his ceiling scenario? A top 10 producer at his position.
What is his floor scenario? Out of the league in five years because he never puts the details of his game together and didn’t show enough effort to address it or try to figure it out.
Physical: When he drops his pads and aligns his hips, he’s an elite power runner. Even when he doesn’t, he is still more powerful than many starters and can get by without optimal details.
Braelon Allen Wins the collision with the DT for seven. https://t.co/odsepUZmIZ
— Matt Waldman (@MattWaldman) November 4, 2026
Technical: Allen is a pass clapper with enough of his attacks of targets that he should address the problem, so he doesn’t have lapses with careless drops.
Braelon Allen A functional, check-down option, at best, but neither as reliable nor as versatile as Breece Hall in the passing game. https://t.co/GRxKTt8H66
— Matt Waldman (@MattWaldman) November 4, 2026
Conceptual: Allen is a decisive runner but also has Fleet-Footed Big Man Prospect Syndrome—a condition where big runners try to prove to themselves and others that he can perform scatback skills in scenarios where it’s advantageous to be a big back. It’s not fatal to a career, but it can be serious enough to diminish upside.
Braelon Allen lacks the short-area explosion of Breece Hall, but he is good enough in this part of his athletic bag to produce in the NFL. Good hip mobility here and the three-step transition downhill may not be the 1-2 steps Hall makes to breakaway, but still good work. https://t.co/cl1L4quDjt
— Matt Waldman (@MattWaldman) November 4, 2026
Intuitive: Allen has good feet to adjust his pacing and stride length in traffic.
Looking at Braelon Allen today... Nimble, good burst here vs Cleveland. Nice job at first two levels. https://t.co/d4QcSto6Ad
— Matt Waldman (@MattWaldman) November 4, 2026
Braelon Allen's adjustment into a tight crease. Good footwork here. https://t.co/kcWswTSZWy
— Matt Waldman (@MattWaldman) November 4, 2026
Where Has Braelon Allen Improved?