Are the New York Giants interested in drafting a running back in the 2026 NFL Draft? After all they already have three good ones in their backfield.
However, it also makes sense to establish a pipeline of young talent to (try to) ensure they’re never bitten too hard by the injury bug or put in an awkward position by free agency. In that case, they could be interested in Penn State running back Kaytron Allen.
Allen isn’t flashy, however he has impressive down-to-down reliability thanks to good instincts, vision, and contact balance. His intangible traits are good enough that he emerged as Penn State’s starter this year over one of the most physically talented backs in the country in Nick Singleton.
Could that make him just what the Giants are looking for at the position?
Prospect: Kaytron Allen (13)
Games Watched: vs. Oregon (2025), vs. Ohio State (2025), vs. Indiana (2025), vs. Nebraska (2025)
Red Flags: none
Measurables
Strengths
Best traits
- Vision
- Contact balance
- Competitive toughness
- Exploiting cutback lanes
Kaytron Allen is a well-rounded and dependable running back prospect with solid athleticism, good vision and balance, and great competitive toughness.
Allen has solid size for a modern back at 5-foot-11, 219 pounds, and is a good (if not spectacular) all-around athlete. He has enough short-area quickness and agility to pick his way through traffic as well as exploit cutback lanes, as well as enough speed to pick up chunk yardage when he finds the open field.
He has good contact balance, allowing him to run through arm tackles as well as disregard glancing blows around the line of scrimmage. Likewise, Allen does a good job of making subtle alterations to his angles and pathing, as well as dropping his pad level, to turn would-be tackles into glancing blows in short-yardage situations. He routinely runs with great toughness, keeping his legs churning and allowing him to pick up tough yards and be a viable short-yardage back.
Allen also has good vision, allowing him to anticipate defenders at the first and second levels, as well as pick out cut-back lanes if his initial path is defended. He identifies quickly-flashing holes and has the athleticism to exploit them before they close.
Weaknesses
Worst traits
- Overall athleticism
- Pass protection
- Pass catching
- Length
Kaytron Allen is, ultimately, a “good but not great” athlete. While his short-area quickness, agility, and burst are all adequate and should translate to the NFL, he lacks stand-out “elite” traits in any area.
Allen isn’t truly explosive, lacks break-away speed, and lacks the elite twitch and agility to make defenders miss in a phonebooth. Likewise, he lacks great size to push the pile and be a great short-yardage back.
Allen may also have limited utility in the passing game. He’s a willing pass protector and has enough size and strength to lose with dignity, however he needs to be more aggressive in stepping up to take on blockers. He can be entirely too passive in pass protection, giving up the initiative to defenders. He also wasn’t asked to do much beyond catch swing passes as a receiver. Allen has few targets and receptions in his career, and his full upside as a pass catcher is unknown at this point. It’s also notable that he has very short arms, severely limiting his catch radius.
Game Tape
(Allen is the Penn State running back wearing number 13 with high white socks.)
Projection
Kaytron Allen projects best as a rotational back in a zone-based rushing scheme. He doesn’t have many stand-out physical traits, however his blend of size, athleticism, and intangible traits such as vision and balance make him an effective back who consistently churns out yardage.
Allen won’t be a game-changing back in the NFL, however he has the ability to contribute on just about any down and distance. He’ll need to prove to the NFL that he can be an effective passing down back, whether that’s as a receiver or pass protector, however he could be a true three-down back in the right situation if he’s able to do so.
Allen is one of those players who’s greater than the sum of his parts and could emerge as a “glue guy”, even if he’s never a dangerous weapon.
Does he fit the Giants? Yes, depending on scheme
Final Word: An early Day 3 pick
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