Getty Former Wisconsin running back Braelon Allen working out at the 2024 NFL Combine.
The New York Jets were scheduled to make three selections in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL draft and they only ended up making one of them.
That is because general manager Joe Douglas made a flurry of moves going down the board acquiring capital in this draft and next year’s draft.
Ultimately the green and white selected Wisconsin running back Braelon Allen with the No. 134 overall pick in the fourth round.
Dane Brugler of The Athletic revealed in “The Beast” that he is the youngest player in the entire class. Allen is only 20 years of age and he won’t turn 21 until January 2025. Brugler said, “NFL teams love that.”
Gang Green Adds Perfect Complement to Breece Hall
Douglas continues his running back track record in the draft. Every year that he has been the general manager he has taken a running back. Taking that a step further in three of his five drafts he has selected a running back specifically in the fourth round.
In 2020 he took La’Mical Perine out of Florida with the No. 120 overall pick in the fourth round. Then in 2021, Douglas went back to the well by selecting Michael Carter out of North Carolina with the No. 107 overall pick in the fourth round. This year he took Allen with the No. 134 overall pick at the end of the fourth.
Allen measured in at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis at 6-foot-1 and tipped the scales at 235 pounds. NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein said he has “rare size on an imposing frame.”
All three of his collegiate seasons were spent at Wisconsin and he proved to be a wildly productive player. During that period, he toted the rock 597 times for 3,494 rushing yards and scored 35 touchdowns.
A Lot of Different Flavors of Ice Cream for the Jets
Breece Hall is clearly the No. 1 RB on the Jets, but depth is critically important. You need injury insurance and if the team holds leads late you will want to work different guys into the game.
Hall brings explosiveness to the table and is an absolute bell-cow who can lead an offense. Israel Abanikanda brings splash to the offense and can take any handoff to the house. He had the nickname in college, “Izzy to the Hizzy.”
Allen brings a new element to the Jets backfield. He can contribute in short-yardage situations, goal-line work, and the most important quality is his ability in pass protection.
Zierlein explained that he has a, “Good understanding of protection duties and has [the] size to square and stop the blitz.” After what transpired last season with Aaron Rodgers, the Jets need capable bodies to provide additional layers of security.
This selection in the fourth round likely kills the idea of the team adding a veteran running back. New York now has five running backs on the roster (six if you count the fullback).
It seems like the team is opting for cheap labor via the NFL draft as opposed to paying a veteran to come in 2024.
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