Allen rushed six times for 54 yards and wasn't targeted in Saturday's 20-17 preseason win over Washington. Allen is the favorite to operate as Breece Hall's top backup in the regular season, and the rookie fourth-round pick got the start Saturday with Hall getting the day off. After a quiet first quarter, Allen came alive in the second quarter with bursts of 16 and 24 yards on the ground. The 6-foot-1, 235-pound running back out of Wisconsin will look to build on this encouraging debut when the Jets continue preseason play next Saturday against the Panthers.
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Status
ACTIVELatest Braelon Allen news
Team
New York Jets
Birthdate
1/20/2004 (20)
Status
Active
HT/WT
6'1", 235 lbs
Draft Info
2024: Rd 4; Pk (NYJ)
Birthplace
Fond du Lac, WI, USA
Position
RB
College
Wisconsin
Career History
New York Jets
2024-Present
(1 season)
Allen rushed six times for 54 yards and wasn't targeted in Saturday's 20-17 preseason win over Washington. Allen is the favorite to operate as Breece Hall's top backup in the regular season, and the rookie fourth-round pick got the start Saturday with Hall getting the day off. After a quiet first quarter, Allen came alive in the second quarter with bursts of 16 and 24 yards on the ground. The 6-foot-1, 235-pound running back out of Wisconsin will look to build on this encouraging debut when the Jets continue preseason play next Saturday against the Panthers.
Allen is listed second at running back on the unofficial depth chart released by the Jets ahead of Saturday's preseason opener against the Commanders. Allen has impressed the coaching staff throughout spring practices and the early portion of training camp, showing strong pass blocking and receiving skills for a rookie. The 2024 fourth-round draft pick out of Wisconsin heads into the preseason as Breece Hall's top backup, ahead of 2024 fifth-round pick Isaiah Davis and 2023 fifth-rounder Israel Abanikanda. While the depth chart could still shift based on preseason results, Allen is well positioned to have a role in the Jets offense come the regular season, though Hall's in no danger of relinquishing the starting role after compiling 1,585 yards from scrimmage in 2023.
Allen has made "a ton of plays as a pass catcher" during OTAs, according to Connor Hughes of SNY.tv. Breece Hall's absence with a lower-body injury has opened up first-team snaps for Allen and fellow rookie Isaiah Davis. It's a bit surprising to hear that Allen has made waves in the passing game, considering he's a 235-pound back who had 275 receiving yards over three seasons as the lead runner at Wisconsin. Picked in the fourth round this spring, Allen is the youngest player in his draft class and will be 20 years old for the entirety of his rookie season (unless the Jets make a deep playoff run). That might seem to hint at a slow learning curve, but it sounds like both he and Davis (a fifth-round pick) have been relatively quick studies while competing with 2023 fifth-round pick Israel Abanikanda for backup roles. Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic believes Allen is "the clear frontrunner" to be the Jets' No. 2 running back.