NFL Draft Profile: Davis Allen, Tight End, Clemson Tigers
In this story:
Davis Allen
Clemson Tigers
#84
Pos: TE
Ht: 6054
Wt: 245
Hand: 1000
Arm: 3228
Wing: 7868
40: 4.84
DOB: 2/3/2001
Hometown: Calhoun, GA
High School: Calhoun
Eligibility: 2023
One Liner:
Allen possesses a large frame, reliable hands, the strength to seal defenders as a run blocker, the size to play over smaller defenders, and a high football IQ, but he lacks standout athletic traits that many teams covet in modern tight ends.
Evaluation:
Allen plays a versatile role for the Tigers. Clemson’s offense lines the former three-star recruit up in the slot, at H-back, in-line, and occasionally at outside wide receiver. The offense frequently sends him in motion to set up run plays as well. Allen is a very consistent skill player. He rarely drops the ball or commits penalties and operates as a security blanket for DJ Uiagalelei. Allen excels at finding openings in zone. He displays quick footwork and does a good job sinking at the top of his stem, which allows him to run crisp routes. The Georgia native’s basketball background translates to the field. He dominates in contested catch situations, high pointing the football and rising above defenders to meet it with soft hands. Allen’s long arms extend his catch radius and help him win as a blocker. He understands and executes his blocks in the running game at a high level, although there’s still room for his pad level and hand placement to improve. Allen is a mobile blocker who takes smart angles to eliminate second-level targets. While he’s not a mauler, Allen displays good pop at the point of contact. He has the strength to seal edge rushers and has a strong understanding of horizontal leverage. Unfortunately, Allen lacks high-end physical traits. He’s not sudden or twitchy, and his speed doesn’t threaten defenses vertically. Allen generates limited yards after the catch and doesn’t break many tackles. He doesn’t separate well against man coverage, which leads to his contested catch opportunities. While he sustains blocks and seals defenders, he infrequently moves bodies off the line of scrimmage. Allen occasionally throws shoulders as a blocker rather than squaring up to his target and lacks experience and development in pass protection. Luckily, he’s a highly experienced special teams player with over 400 snaps split between the kick return, punt coverage, and field goal units. Allen is a quarterback-friendly pass catcher who will begin his career as a back-of-the-roster player before working into a larger role.
Grade:
6th Round
Quotes:
“He might be the best blocking tight end we've ever had here. And that's how good of a blocker Davis Allen is. He's dependable, and then you saw what he can do in the passing game. He's a big body that has so much confidence in going up and making plays.” -- Clemson OC Brandon Streeter on TE Davis Allen
“Man, I don’t think people know how good Davis Allen is. I always say it, ‘I think Davis Allen is going to play in the NFL for 10 years. He’s an NFL tight end.’” -- Clemson QB DJ Uiagalelei on TE Davis Allen
“You can put him in the box and convince them it is a run box – but now it’s a pass box because he can make that happen. So there’s no limitations to what he brings to the table.” -- Clemson TE Coach Kyle Richardson on TE Davis Allen
“When you’ve got a guy like (Allen) at the (tight end) position that’s a real factor in the run game and a real factor in the pass game, it opens up everything for everybody else because somebody has got to cover 80 (Collins), 10 (Joseph Ngata) and 0 (Antonio Williams). That’s when we’re at our best is when we can do that.” -- Clemson HC Dabo Swinney on TE Davis Allen
Background:
Allen was a three-star recruit from Calhoun High School in Calhoun, Ga. in the class of 2019. He was the No. 807 recruit according to 247Sports and No. 778 for On3.com. Allen was an unranked three-star recruit for Rivals. Allen was an unranked three-star recruit for ESPN with a 78 grade out of 100. He also played defense in high school, earning Region 6 AAA Defensive Player of the Year and County Defensive Player of the Year honors. Allen also participated in baseball and basketball in high school. As a senior, he averaged 10.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, an assist, a steal, and 2.6 blocks per game according to MaxPreps. The previous season, he averaged 15 points, 8.2 rebounds, a steal, and 1.2 blocks per game. Allen left high school with 743 points and 507 rebounds in basketball. His father (John) was a linebacker at Georgia from 1988-91, and his brother was a defensive end at Air Force. Allen was born on Feb. 3, 2001. He made the ACC Honor Roll in 2021.
