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Former Wisconsin running back Braelon Allen entered the 2024 NFL Draft as the youngest prospect in the class. Allen just turned 20 years old in January, which means he was just 17 years old when he started his college career in 2021.
Despite the young age, Allen dominated in Wisconsin's backfield right away and eventually entered the draft after three college seasons. The 20-year-old was then selected in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft by the New York Jets. He was the 11th running back off the board in the class.
Allen will now have the opportunity to take his first NFL snap in 2024. But did he land in a great spot? Will he get touches right away? Let's take a look at the rookie's situation in Year 1 and his fantasy football outlook.
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College Production
Allen, a four-star high school prospect, made a name for himself immediately in college. At 17 years old, the Wisconsin running back ran for 1,268 yards and 12 touchdowns as a true freshman. He then followed that campaign up by rushing for 1,242 yards and 11 touchdowns in his sophomore year.
To see what Allen was doing at 17 and 18 years old was shocking. He ran the ball hard, and opposing defenses had a hard time tackling him, especially given his 235-pound size. The Wisconsin back also ended the 2022 college season with at least 100 rush yards in five of the final seven games of the year.
Braelon Allen says he squatted 610 pounds his freshman year at Wisconsin 😲 pic.twitter.com/MHFFXatNdS
— Jets Videos (@snyjets) April 27, 2024
As a result, Allen entered the 2023 college season trending up, and he could raise his draft stock with another strong campaign. However, his production took a slight step back last year. Despite totaling a career-low 984 rush yards on 181 carries, he still rushed for 12 touchdowns and had five 100-yard rush games. In total, the Wisconsin product rushed for 3,494 yards and 35 touchdowns in his three college seasons.
Rookie Year Situation
When Allen got drafted by the Jets in the fourth round, he landed in one of the worst spots for a running back. New York already has a clear starter in Breece Hall, who is just 22 years old and has multiple years left on his rookie deal. Hall has already established himself as one of the game's most explosive backs when healthy. That is surely not great news for the rookie.
On top of that, the Jets took Israel Abanikanda in the fifth round of last year's draft and even took another running back after Allen was selected in the fourth round. New York selected South Dakota State running back Isaiah Davis in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. With all those backs on the Jets roster this upcoming year, playing time/opportunities could be hard to come by for the former Wisconsin star.
#Jets RB Braelon Allen was born on January 20, 2004.
Aaron Rodgers was taken in the 1st round of the 2005 #NFLDraft less than a year and a half later.
They are now teammates. That is wild lol#JetUp @nyjets @BraelonAllen @AaronRodgers12 pic.twitter.com/TYHIbCzWUh
— Paul Andrew Esden Jr (@BoyGreen25) May 3, 2024
It's pretty obvious that Hall will be the team's starting running back heading into the 2024-2025 campaign. He is finally fully healthy after suffering a torn ACL in 2022. However, the backup role is certainly up for grabs between Abanikanda, Allen, and Davis. It's anyone's guess as to who eventually wins that role.
There is a strong chance that it could be Allen, though. He was drafted higher than both of the other backs and certainly has the college production to take on that job in Year 1. Just look at what he did as a 17-year-old in his first season at Wisconsin. If he does land the backup role, he should see some chances in New York's offense. But don't expect a ton of opportunities as a rookie, given Hall's involvement in both the passing and running game.
Fantasy Football Outlook
It's going to be hard to trust Allen in fantasy in Year 1. For starters, he will be -- at the very least -- behind Hall on the depth chart and potentially even Abanikanda. So, opportunities will likely be extremely limited for him as a rookie. Backup running backs for the Jets last year averaged just 5.2 carries per game.
Allen also isn't known for his pass-catching skills, which could hurt his case for playing time. In three years at Wisconsin, he only had one season in which he caught more than 15 passes and totaled more than 105 receiving yards (2023). He reeled in 49 passes for 275 yards with the Badgers.
The rookie did not land in a great spot with the Jets, and he should take a backseat on offense. Hall can do it all on the ground and through the air, which should hurt the rookie's fantasy value. As a result, he is likely not worth a pick in most redraft fantasy leagues -- unless an injury occurs to Hall.
Braelon ‘Agent Zero’ Allen. #Jets pic.twitter.com/cFtCG1myUr
— NYTakeFlight (@NYTakeFlight) May 4, 2024
In dynasty formats, it's hard to take Allen anywhere near the top of drafts. He will be stuck behind Hall for the next couple of years and likely won't see a sizable workload with him still in town. However, the one thing going for the Wisconsin product is his age. He is only 20 years old and will be 24 years old when his rookie deal is up.
That's why Allen could be a nice target in the back end of the third round of rookie drafts this offseason. He might not see much production right away, but he's a talented back with a bright future. He's just in a tough landing spot to start his career. This is a player, though, who rushed for 1,242 yards as a 17-year-old freshman at Wisconsin.
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