Kaytron Allen Scouting Report

Kaytron Allen is a downhill thumping back who will thrive in a role of being the running back tasked to execute in short-yardage situations.

Draft Grade: Round 4 - Developmental Traits

Strengths:

Run with Power: Allen does a good job of running behind his pads and picking up yardage using his power. Allen can run through defenders and fight for extra yardage using his frame and strength.

IQ/Football Intelligence: Whether it's zone or gap schemes, Allen understands the blocking scheme and can find an open hole to pick up positive yardage.

Play Experience: Allen is a dependable running back who has played all four years at Penn State, with experience in championship games and the playoffs.

Concerns:

Speed: Allen lacks top-end speed to run away from defenders in the open field and will get caught.

Passing Game Impact: Allen is a limited athlete, which means he has a limit on how much he can provide as a pass catcher out of the backfield. Allen's biggest impact may be in pass protection. 

Kaytron Allen Summary/Projection:

Kaytron Allen is a fourth-year senior running back for the Penn State football program. Allen was a highly recruited back for the Nittany Lions and has contributed at a high level since his freshman year. Throughout his career, Allen has carved out a bigger and bigger role, serving as the power back in a backfield that has featured both him and teammate Nicholas Singleton over the past four years. Allen has a unique blend of size, power, and good overall instincts, allowing him to be effective and pick up the tough, gritty yards when needed. He is a tone-setter as a runner, operating with a physical temperament—powering through defenders—but he’s also scheme-versatile, having experience in both zone and gap concepts.

Allen profiles as a one-cut-and-get-downhill running back who takes the same approach in both zone and gap schemes: he quickly identifies a hole at the line of scrimmage and attacks upfield, getting his pads north and south with urgency. Allen runs with purpose and little wasted motion. He understands his strengths as a runner, and by getting vertical as quickly as possible, he puts himself in a position to run through defenders and power ahead for extra yardage. Through the hole, Allen is a quick accelerator, which helps him generate power rapidly—combining size, power, and acceleration to become a difficult tackle for defenders.

Because of Allen’s strong lower half and low pad level, he absorbs defenders' contact well and displays good overall contact balance, allowing him to break tackles and continue upfield. Allen is a reliable back who appears to always fall forward, keeping the offense in a positive situation and ahead of the chains. Overall, Allen is a power back who will serve an important role as part of a rotation, acting as the physical enforcer and picking up key yards in short-yardage situations.

Allen’s main concerns as a player revolve around his overall athleticism and how that may limit him in certain situations. He has limited top-end speed, which prevents him from converting some explosive play opportunities, as he’s often caught from behind in the open field. His limited athletic ability also impacts his ceiling in the passing game as a receiver. While Allen can run routes in the short areas of the field, he may be limited in his ability to create separation in the intermediate and deep portions of the route tree.