CJ Allen

Summary

C.J. Allen (21 years old) is a linebacker who has played his entire college career at Georgia with no transfers. In 2025, Allen started throughout the season and recorded 82 total tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, and 3.0 sacks earning him Second-Team All-SEC honors and All-America consideration, building on steady development and rotational contributions earlier in his career as he grew into a full-time starter. Allen was a two-way player in high school, also compiling 1,628 rushing yards and 26 touchdowns as a running back. Allen has maintained solid academic standing and is widely viewed as a disciplined, team-first defender whose instincts, communication, and preparation habits consistently draw praise from coaches, with no publicly reported significant off-field incidents. Scouts rave about Allen’s interviews and intangibles while teammates frequently highlight his leadership presence and ability to align the defense as indicators of his maturity within the front seven. From an injury standpoint, Allen has been durable throughout his career and chose to play through a torn meniscus in 2025 knowing full well that it would likely affect his preparation process for the NFL Draft. This lingering injury has prevented Allen from fully testing in the pre-draft process.

Strengths

• Roquan: Wild sideline-to-sideline range like former Dawgs teammate Roquan Smith and flows effortlessly across the formation. Can run down outside zone, screens, and perimeter concepts without looking strained.

• Diagnostic Deity: Reads run concepts quickly and doesn’t hesitate once he commits. Always beats blockers to landmarks and generally takes efficient paths to the football rather than relying purely on speed.

• Modern Linebacker: Fluid hips and easy change-of-direction ability allow him to redirect without gearing down. Comfortable dropping into space, carrying routes short-to-intermediate, and playing with vision on the QB.

• High-IQ Leader: Played in a pro-style, assignment-heavy defense that accelerates mental growth. Will put his body and welfare on the line for his brothers.

Weaknesses

• Traffic Jam: Can get displaced when guards reach him cleanly and he is still building the strength to hold ground inside. Can arrive a bit upright, reducing power on collision with bigger backs or linemen.

• Stack & Fled: More of a flow/run linebacker than a tone-setting, stack-and-shed MIKE. Wins with avoidance and speed more than hand violence and must improve shedding when square.

• Blitz Impact: Has the athleticism, but doesn’t yet consistently convert pressures into disruptive plays. Traits and positioning are strong, but splash plays (INTs, forced fumbles) can increase.

• Role Questions?: Best fit (MIKE vs WILL vs space backer) depends on how his strength and processing continue to develop.

Outlook

Allen projects as a fast, instinctive off-ball linebacker with excellent sideline-to-sideline range, fluid movement in space, and the physicality to finish plays, giving him true three-down upside in modern defenses. He fits best in multiple-front schemes (4-2-5 or 4-3) that emphasize speed, coverage versatility, and linebackers who can flow freely, match routes in zone, and contribute as blitzers rather than playing strictly downhill in a two-down role. Allen is trending as a Day 2 prospect with a Round 2–3 projection in the 2026 NFL Draft, with some team perhaps pulling the trigger late on Thursday night if they fall in love with the off-the-field profile.

Pro Comparison: Roquan Smith

Team Fits: DAL, JAX, ATL, CIN, WAS