The Colts drafted CJ Allen in the second round of the NFL Draft.
With a strong desire to get younger and faster on the defensive side of the ball the Colts found a tough, physical MIKE linebacker who can be the green dot of the future.
We’ll break down some of the tape, but I think the Colts found a player with a strong floor who at a bare minimum can be in contention for Pro Bowls.
CJ Allen is going be 21 for his entire rookie year, which really is added value onto a pick that I already hold in high
regard. At 6006, 230 LBS he doesn’t have outstanding size for the position, but it’s not underwhelming either.. just average. A common cliché around draft season is that “coaches rave about him”. But CJ Allen is truly the epitome of that cliché. You don’t see freshman start on Kirby Smart’s defense — yet CJ Allen did it. To learn a defense as complex as the Saban/Smart system in your freshman year is impressive, but to do it as a Mike backer is even more rare.
While he’s not a poor athlete by any means, CJ Allen makes uo for a lack of elite athleticism with elite play recognition. We’ll get to that later.
He has great zone eyes and always seems to be on the same page with adjacent defenders passing off routes.
Georgia is running a 6-man pressure with “Hot” coverage behind it- meaning 3 deep 2 underneath zone coverage.
CJ Allen does a great job keeping eyes on the QB and knowing the TE could leak out in that protection. But at the end of the day it’s 3rd&2 and that TE has just enough room to move the chains anyway, but CJ Allen is coming with violent intentions. He delivers a HUGE hit on this play and it’s incomplete.
This was one of my favorite reps from CJ Allen because one of the hardest things for a linebacker to do is to survive the first phase of the play, but hang with a RB or TE in the scramble drill. CJ here is mugged up to the LOS and opening up in a Match Tampa 2. But because Auburn is in a bunch situation it now becomes a bunch check where CJ is likely responsible for #3 coming across the field on the shallow cross. The lateral agility to be able to stick his foot and undercut the route coming back on the scramble drill is extremely impressive. In fact, these are the type of plays that have plagued the Colts LBs for years now.
Florida is running a Zone Read Lead play on the goal line (a play the Colts are familiar with).He takes a perfect angle and flashes the acceleration to make the tackle on the goalie. These horizontal stretch plays can be awfully difficult to navigate for a LB with so much ground to cover. CJ Allen chases DJ Lagway across the field like it’s nothing. The one critique here is that he drops his head while trying to make the tackle and more elusive players at the next level will punish him for it.
This play is absolutely outrageous. Florida is running QB Power Sweep. Georgia is stemming the front from an odd presentation to an even presentation. Watch CJ Allen shed the block while the QB is making his read. It showcases the instincts that are so important at that position.
BOTTOM LINE
I believe that CJ Allen’s ceiling will be mostly dictated by how well his play recognition and instincts will translate to the next level. The good news is that prospects that demonstrate the ability to be around the ball will likely continue to do it at the next level.
I don’t see anything overly outstanding from an athletic profile, but that doesn’t mean much when you can account for it by being smart, tough, and instinctual.
At a bare minimum I think the CJ Allen gives the Colts a strong floor in the middle of their defense.
