Davis Allen 2023 NFL Draft profile: Scout report for the Clemson TE

Davis Allen, Clemson

6’6”, 245 pounds; SR

One of the top-1,000 overall recruits in 2019, Allen was limited to five catches as a true freshman, before having a solid follow-up campaign as the TE2 for the Tigers before taking on the starting gig in 2021. This past season, he caught 39 passes for 443 yards and five touchdowns, which is basically what he combined for over the prior two years.

+ Initiates contact with low pads and shoots his hips through the defender in order to create that initial movement on drive-blocks

+ Makes sure to close the gap to the tackle or even step slightly behind him when securing the backside, with nobody outside of him

+ Maintains a wide base and keeps his weight centered, along with active feet, in order to rarely slip/fall off blocks

+ Works up to the second under control and breaks down well to latch his hands inside the frame of those backers

+ The Tigers ran a bunch of GF power/counter with him on the wrap-around isolated against linebackers and he was able to take off his assignments effectively by covering up guys

+ Does a great job of getting his outside foot around and shielding edge defenders/linebackers as the “point-man” on toss plays

+ Excellent on-the-move blocker, from offset and alignments, to snatch up smaller defenders and maintain contact with them

+ Clemson regularly put him in motion and used that ability to put hands on targets in space, specifically in the screen game, along with backside kick-outs on split zones

+ Lined up all over the formation for Clemson – in-line, wing, H-back, slot and out wide

+ Graceful mover at his weight and can drop his hips very effectively on cuts

+ Provides the burst off the line to threaten down the seams, as well as being an asset on corner routes out of the slot

+ The Tigers frequently tasked him with optional routes from wing-alignments, where he could shake off linebackers and some down-safeties one-on-one

+ Sits down routes with ease, not having to chop his feet and leading defenders to the break-point

+ Was legitimately used as a chain-mover and target for easy yardage on early downs, running hitches and slants as the single receiver in the boundary – 19 of his 39 catches last season resulted in first downs

+ Had a passer rating when targeted above 100 every year with Clemson, including a mark of 126.5 this past season

+ Plucks the ball at the highest point and rips it into his body instantly whenever the quarterback puts it on the top shelf for him

+ Never dropped more than one pass in a season (one on 40 catchable targets in 2022)

+ Has some impressive catches on tape, where he plucks the ball off the helmet of defenders trailing him down the seams

+ Brings the frame to sustain catches through hits and keep the ball pinned to his body; his contested catch rate of 91.7% this past season is unheard of (11 of 12) – and he was at 75% the year prior

+ Eats up some pretty good ground with the ball tucked away and packs a nice stiff-arm to throw out against pursuing defenders

+ Trusts his hands to not stop as the ball is placed slightly behind him – 194 of his 443 yards last year came after the catch (43.8%)

+ His tape includes some impressive pass-pro reps in terms of technique, keeping rushers square and working from a wide base, and in terms of ankle flexion, to get all cleats into the turf

– Has his pads knocked back by box defenders fairly regularly, when he’s closing that distance to the tackle and looking to seal the backside and they decide to fill the C-gap

– Not somebody who necessarily imposes himself physically as a route-runner – you see defenders widen their release when they do out their hands on him, specifically when he gets run into the sideline on fades lining up as a boundary receiver

– Could still incorporate some more nuanced running routes, such as working in body-leans and head-fakes on a regular basis

– Slaps his hands onto the ball instead of having them in place on leak routes, bubbles, etc., where he tries to run through the catch

– Ran an underwhelming 4.84 in the 40 and will not come close to his insane contested-catch rate against NFL defenders who are better at playing the ball

I outlined Allen as one of “my guys”, considering he’s comfortably outside the top-ten at the position based on consensus boards and I just feel like that’s due to a combination of people looking at what he ran at the combine and his limited production – which was largely dependent on an up-and-down passing game for the Tigers. You could argue that in terms of being technically sound and taking care of his assignments, only Notre Dame’s Michael Mayer is a better blocking TE at the moment, among the names currently projected to be drafted.

I’d like to see him become more physical and incorporate some more details to his routes, that won’t show up when they’re drawn up on paper, but his ability to find openings against man or zone, combined with the way he attacks the ball in the air makes him a highly reliable target in the pass game. He was only penalized four times throughout his career (1853 snaps).

Grade: Third round

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