Indianapolis Colts Select Dwayne Allen, TE, Clemson 2012 NFL Draft Grade

With the 64th pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, the Indianapolis Colts have selected Dwayne Allen, TE, Clemson

Here is our scouting report on Allen:

Allen is an emerging tight end prospect who had a pretty solid sophomore season following a freshman campaign where he caught three touchdown passes. Last year, he finished third on the team with 33 receptions and had 373 yards and a touchdown through the air. He’s a pretty good receiver but more of an outlet than a primary target in the passing game, and he really excels in blocking. He has the potential to be a “five tool” type of player at the tight end position, and you’ve seen flashes if you watch any Clemson games. He will still drop passes here or there, but the size and potential are there for him to be a good NFL player.

Pros

Best two way tight end prospect since Brandon Pettigrew…Good blocker…used a lot  as a fullback in the blocking game, which showcases his ability to block in space…does a good job shielding defenders to go up and make a play for the ball…can make some acrobatic catches…runs good routes…catches ball at it’s highest point…hard worker, has improved by leaps and pounds each year…pretty good speed…athletic…solid route runner..in two words the best way to describe Allen is “body control”

Cons

drops some easy passes…doesn’t create a ton of yardage after the catch…doesn’t create a world of separation off the snap, has pretty good speed, but maybe not dynamic straight line speed…

Player comparison:

Chris Cooley

I’ve changed the player comparison a couple of times, but I think I’m finally onto one I like. He reminds me a lot of what Chris Cooley can do, and that’s a great thing for who ever drafts him.

Thoughts:

I say that Allen is the best two way tight end since Brandon Pettigrew because the top tight ends in most of the recent classes are filled with guys who could catch, but not really block well or could do both, but had extensive injury histories. Rudolph (last year) was a willing blocker, but not a great blocker. The other prospect who was a very good two way tight end prospect was Rob Gronkowski, but his stock was hurt significantly because of an injury history. It’s a sad state of things when you think about how few tight ends there are in the league who can block and catch equally effectively. Allen is still a better pass catcher than he is a blocker, but he’s a real plus blocker, especially in space.

Pick Grade: B

The Colts get another tight end to go with Andrew Luck, a guy who can come in and be that blocking tight end but also a guy who is going to be a red zone threat. Decent pickup for the Colts.