Measurables
- 6‘1 Height
- 235 lb. Weight
2025 Stats
- 71 Solo Tackles
- 23 Assisted Tackles
- 8 Missed Tackles (7.8%)
- 39 Run Stops
- 2 Forced Fumbles
- 29 Receptions Allowed / 43 Targets = 67.4%
- 288 Yards Allowed
- 9.9 Yards Per Reception
- 217 Yards After Catch Allowed
- 7.5 Yards After Catch Allowed/Catch
- 1 TD Allowed
- 0 INTs
- 3 Pass Break Ups
- 93.9 Passer Rating Allowed
- 13 Pressures / 86 Pass Rush Snaps = 15.1% Pressure Rate
- 0 QB Hits
- 3.5 Sacks
Awards/Accolades
- Consensus All American (2025, Sporting News and Associated Press First Team)
- First Team All SEC (2025, Coaches & AP)
- Butkus Award Finalist (2025, nation’s top linebacker)
- Lott IMPACT Trophy Finalist (top defensive player with IMPACT: Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community, Tenacity)
Strengths
- Going to test very well at the Combine. Fast and rangy on tape with smooth hip flips and quick agility paired with explosive high jumps to contest catches. His track background is apparent immediately in his running form and speed in pursuit.
- Very reliable tackler, missed tackle rate throughout his career at Georgia was 6% (2024) to 8.9% (2023) range. Uses nice technique and wraps up well. Both can bring down both powerbacks and scatbacks.
- Strong run game instincts, can sift through blockers to find the hole and meet the back there. High Football IQ in IDing run plays and knowing where to go downhill.
- Has some pop behind his pads in his hits, will fly to the ball and delivers a big hit to dislodge the ball.
- Can take on blocks well with good leverage and anchor.
- High Effort, plays through the whistle and doesn’t give up on the play in pursuit.
- Praised for Leadership and commitment to helping the community off the field. Leads by example. Team Captain.
Weaknesses
- Mental mistakes in coverage, while he can do well in shadowing Tight Ends and Running Backs in Man and has range to follow Wide Receivers in Zone, there are issues of missed assignments and leaving zone open.
- Play Action causes hesitation in getting to his dropbacks, creating openings in the middle of the field.
- Can over pursue to try to meet the back, opening up cutback lanes.
- Could get bigger to improve power in block shedding, relies on finesse and low pad level.
Draft Projection
Round 1-2 Grade
In my initial Big Board Top 100, I gave Allen a Round 1-2 Grade and he was #39 Overall. The consensus is that Allen will likely be taken toward the end of Round 1 or beginning of Round 2. The odds of him reaching the Colts at pick 47 aren’t great according to most, but with crowded and talented Linebacker class slips can happen.
CJ Allen has flashes of being a 3 down impact Linebacker. His combination of top end athleticism, fluidity, downhill anticipation, and tackling prowess is covetable immediately and he has some impressive coverage reps to boot. Tack on clear leadership traits and constant high effort and you got a MIKE Linebacker to lead a defense.
But there is still things to work on, with coverage instincts and play fake recognition being the core ones.
These are coachable, but until corrected are exposable. Aggressive Blitz Scheme Defenses will love CJ Allen as they won’t put him in coverage situations as often or try to keep his assignments simple in coverage. But the warts are there that keep him from being a Round 1 Grade or even blue chip Linebacker prospect in this talented class.
He is still only 20 (turn 21 in March) and was a 30 game starter in Kirby Smart’s Georgia Defense over the last 3 years. Allen might not have even reached his athletic peak yet (a terrifying prospect for opposing offenses) and has time to continue to fine tune his dropback instincts. The flashes are there, and teams will take CJ Allen expecting the best is yet to come.
For the Colts, Allen wouldn’t fulfill their coverage needs for the middle of the field at first. If the Colts added him, it would be to replace Zaire Franklin as the starting MIKE Linebacker, become a new young leader of the defense, and attack downhill early on his career. Allen would provide a major boost in athleticism, tackling, and hustle in the middle of the defense, helping set the tone for a likely retooled front. More additions would still be needed to find his partner on the weak side at WILL Linebacker for more coverage ability in the short term, but under Lou Anarumo’s tutelage the hope would be that Allen would hone his coverage instincts over time to pair with his athletic gifts for a big leap in his drop back abilities.
See More:
