Braelon Allen Stays Home in NFL.com’s 3-Round Mock Draft

NFL Draft season is upon us with the NFL Combine kicking off next week. Three Wisconsin football players are participating in the pre-draft drills in Indianapolis. The biggest name of them is star running back, Braelon Allen.

Allen, who was generating first or second-round hype before his junior season, fought through an injury-plagued junior season. Paired with a brand new offense under Luke Fickell and Phil Longo, his stats and production dropped. He managed just 984 yards on the ground, his first season missing the 1,000-yard mark in his three seasons at Wisconsin.

Despite his down year, Allen is still projected to be a second-day pick (rounds 2-3). Granted, it’s still early. The draft is not until the end of April. But with a good performance at the Combine, Allen could see his draft value rise.

Braelon Allen Drafted in Second Round of NFL.com’s Mock Draft

Sep 17, 2022; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers running back Braelon Allen (0) carries the football during warmups prior to the game against the New Mexico State Aggies at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

NFL.com’s Chad Reuter has covered the NFL draft for over 20 years. He recently released his 3-round mock draft ahead of the Combine and has Wisconsin football star Braelon Allen going in the second round to the Green Bay Packers at pick No. 58.

With the Packers’ backup running back AJ Dillon hitting free agency, it makes sense for the Packers to look to the draft to replace him. A rookie running back will be undoubtedly cheaper than a veteran. Also, Braelon Allen is just 20 years old, almost six years younger than Dillon.

You could also argue Dillon and Allen are similar players, at least viewing them as power backs. Dillon is 6’0″ and 247 pounds. The Wisconsin football star is 6’2″ and 238 pounds.

According to Allen’s draft profile by Damian Pearson on The Draft Network, he has the potential to be the lead back in a run-first offense. Pearson also says he isn’t a reliable pass-catcher out of the backfield and his pass-blocking is ‘hit-and-miss’.  That doesn’t necessarily scream Green Bay Packers.

But the good news is Allen could still improve in those areas. He wasn’t featured much in the passing game before last year. In his lone year in Phil Longo’s air raid offense, Allen had 28 receptions for 132 yards, both career highs for him. While on the Packers, Dillon had 22 receptions for 223 yards.

So with all of that in mind, I think Braelon Allen could very well be a good option for the Green Bay Packers as their No. 2 running back and even possibly as their future back when Aaron Jones’ time in Green Bay is up.

Make sure you tune into the NFL Draft Combine on March 2nd when Braelon Allen and the running backs participate in the on-field drills.

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