After trading back, the Colts landed one of the cleaner linebacker fits in the draft with CJ Allen at pick No. 53. He is expected to step into Lou Anarumo’s defense next to Akeem Davis-Gaither and compete to replace the role Zaire Franklin held in the middle of the defense. Allen brings leadership, range, and coverage instincts, and he looks like the type of linebacker who can handle real responsibility early.
School: Georgia Height: 6-foot-1 1/4 Weight: 237 pounds Arm Length: 30 3/8 inches Hand Size:
9 1/4 inches Class: Junior
Stats
2023: 14 games | 41 total tackles | 2.5 TFL | 1 sack | 0 INTs | 2 pass deflections
2024: 14 games | 76 total tackles | 3.0 TFL | 0 sacks | 1 INT | 4 pass deflections
2025: 13 games | 88 total tackles | 8.0 TFL | 3.5 sacks | 0 INTs | 4 pass deflections | 1 forced fumble
Career: 41 games | 205 total tackles | 13.5 TFL | 4.5 sacks | 1 INT | 10 pass deflections | 1 forced fumble
Strengths
- Captain and play caller of Georgia’s defense, which says a lot about the football intelligence, trust level, and command he brings to the field.
- Shows very good instincts in coverage and reads the quarterback’s eyes well.
- Excellent closing speed and real sideline-to-sideline range.
- Consistently seems to be in the right spot and around the football.
- Plays with the awareness and poise of a true field general in the middle of a defense.
- Has the movement ability to stay on the field in multiple situations and handle a three-down role.
- Productive, steady, and reliable rather than flashy for the sake of being flashy.
Weaknesses
- Can get pushed back at times when the action gets tight and physical.
- Needs to play with a bit more aggressiveness in traffic and through contact.
- Does not always bring the same force in muddy areas that he shows when he is able to flow freely.
- More of a steady, high-level operator than a chaotic playmaker, which may cause some to underrate him.
- Lacks the same splash-play profile as some of the more explosive linebackers in the class, even though the overall game is cleaner.
NFL Comparison: Daiyan Henley
Summary
Allen looks like a true every-down NFL linebacker because the mental side of the game is already so advanced. He was the captain and play caller of a Georgia defense loaded with talent, and his tape reflects that responsibility. He reads the quarterback well, shows strong instincts in coverage, closes fast, and consistently ends up around the football. The biggest concern is that he can get pushed back in tighter areas and still needs to play with more force when navigating traffic, but those flaws are easier to live with when the rest of the profile is this clean. The full package points to a smart, reliable, long-term starting linebacker with first-round value.
Colts Fit
Allen projects best as a space-eating linebacker who has the speed and range to work sideline to sideline. His game is better suited to handling the C and D gaps, playing contain, and operating in space rather than serving as the dirty, downhill linebacker who does most of his work inside. Fortunately for Indianapolis, Akeem Davis-Gaither is better built to handle the interior clutter, cover inside (A or B) gaps, and play through more traffic. Allen should be the Colts’ primary option when it comes to matching up with tight ends on the line of scrimmage or detached into the slot. In a 4-2-5 base look, he fits naturally as the strongside linebacker who is asked to cover more ground. Zaire Franklin handled much of that role previously and was a quality run defender, but the added space often exposed limitations in coverage. Allen is a cleaner fit there, while Davis-Gaither is better suited for the weakside linebacker duties.
