Former Wisconsin Badgers player Braelon Allen will look to turn heads in his NFL rookie season. Allen was selected in the fourth round (134th overall) of the 2024 NFL Draft by the New York Jets. Many Packers fans wanted the team to select Braleon Allen, but they instead selected Marshawn Lloyd from USC in the third round.
Allen was the starting quarterback for the Badgers last season. Wisconsin is known for drafting running backs into the NFL. In 11 games last season in college, he rushed for 984 yards on 181 attempts and scored 12 touchdowns and averaged 5.4 yards per attempt. Braelon Allen also caught 28 passes for 132 yards and zero touchdowns and averaged 4.7 yards per attempt.
This year, the former Badgers running back is listed as second on the Jets depth chart, behind Breece Hall. Allen is listed ahead of Isaiah Davis and Israel Abanikanda on the depth chart. The New York Jets coaching staff has been impressed with Allen this offseason.
NFL analyst believes former Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Braleon Allen is an underrated rookie to watch for the New York Jets
Pro Football Network’s Dallas Robinson listed an underrated rookie for every NFL team heading into the 2024 NFL season. He believes the former Badgers quarterback will potentially make an impact this season for the Jets. Robinson said of Allen:
“While Breece Hall should dominate the Jets’ quarterback action, someone needs to take over the 300-plus snaps that Dalvin Cook and Michael Carter threw for New York in 2023.
Braelon Allen is competing to play behind Hall with fifth-round rookie Isaiah Davis and backup Israel Abanikanda, but we’re betting on the Wisconsin native being the top pick among Gang Green’s backups.
“He’s tough. Very intelligent, fluid, good in the defensive end zone, really good in pass protection for a rookie,” Jets head coach Robert Saleh he said last week“Braelon is really fluid in the defensive zone with his hands. So he has a chance, he just has to keep working.”
Breece Hall will undoubtedly be a workhorse for the New York Jets in the frontcourt, but they need someone else to carry the ball. Braelon Allen is used to working in a two-running back system during his time with the Wisconsin Badgers. Allen could be a sleeper running back as a rookie.
If the Jets want to have success this season, Hall and Allen will need to take some of the pressure off quarterback Aaron Rodgers. New York has the talent to make the playoffs. Breece Hall has been injured in the past, so Braelon Allen could start for them at some point this season if that happens.
