Keenan Allen was considered the consensus No. 1 wide receiver in the 2013 NFL Draft when this past college football season came to a conclusion. A combination of lackluster quarterback play and injuries saw his draft stock drop a great deal in the ensuing months. The CAL product is no longer considered the top wide receiver in the draft, and depending on who you ask, he isn’t in the top two or three either.
This doesn’t take away what he did in college and how well his game might translate to the National Football League.
Today, eDraft is going to give you its scouting report on the talented young wide receiver.
Strengths
Route Running: Allen is probably the most refined route runner in the entire class. He will gain separation at the line against the press and runs really tight routes. You will not see him loop back to the ball and allow the defensive back to bat it down or intercept it. He ran a pro-style route tree at CAL and should be able to have a huge amount of success in similar offenses in the NFL.
Consistency: Despite playing with less-than-stellar quarterbacks in college, Allen averaged a whopping six receptions per game. His route-running ability and hands (more on that later) enabled him to consistently put up great numbers. He will not disappear for large portions of games and will come down with that all-important third-down reception. These are huge indicators that Allen will have success in the NFL early on.
Hands: Probably one of the top-three sets of hands in the entire draft, Allen caught nearly everything thrown in his direction. You have to understand that CAL quarterback Zach Maynard was one of the most inaccurate quarterbacks in college football over the last couple seasons. Allen would have to adjust mid route, come back to under-thrown balls and leap into the air to make catches on a consistent basis. While he didn’t come down with all of them, he showed a great set of mitts. This cannot be stated enough, especially if he goes to a team that currently has a somewhat inaccurate arm. On balls that were throw decently, Allen came down with catches nearly every single time. This is where you rely on game film, not You Tube or statistics.
Athleticism: While Allen is no Marquise Goodwin in terms of athleticism, he has the ability to jump over the top of defensive backs and come down with the ball. In addition, his pure athleticism is magnified by great body control mid route. This enables Allen to work against the defensive back while providing the quarterback a stellar target.
Weaknesses
Possession Receiver: Allen will not be that downfield threat. He struggles gaining separation in his second gear and will not break off long YAC (yards after the catch) totals on a single play. He is purely a consistent possession guy, which is the reason scouts are not overly impressed by his tape.
Injuries: Allen missed three games this past season with a knee injury and wasn’t able to take part in the combine or CAL’s Pro Day. If a team is looking to select him in the first round, it better be damn near sure that these recent knee injuries aren’t going to be worrisome moving forward.
Lack of Physicality: Not physical at all. This is probably my biggest knock on Allen. While he is decent against press because of well-rounded mechanics, Allen will not break tackles or put his neck out there to block. He struggles against more physical corners. I noticed this to an extent against Desmond Trufant and Washington.
Bottom Line
As I mentioned before, Allen was considered the consensus top receiver prospect towards the latter half of the 2012 season. His injury concerns and a lack of decent tape has caused him to fall in the minds of armchair scouts. This shouldn’t be a huge deal come later this month. NFL teams are privy to information that most “experts” aren’t. They’re not going to fault Allen for playing with bad quarterbacks in college. Instead, they’re going to look at the the tape and draw the same conclusion I am.
Allen is a first-round prospect and the most pro-ready receiver in the draft. He has a chance to come right in and be a difference maker out of the gate. While Allen’s ceiling might not be as high as a Cordarrelle Patterson or DeAndre Hopkins, he doesn’t have the same bust factor they have. He will record multiple 1,000-yard seasons in the NFL.