2018 NFL Draft: Can Penn State safety Marcus Allen become a starter at the next level?
By Shane Lunnen
The 2018 NFL Draft is lacking depth with players in the secondary. Can Penn State’s Marcus Allen find his way to a starting spot in the NFL?
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Marcus Allen will always be regarded as one of the fan favorites at Penn State. He endeared himself with his social media presence, post-game locker room videos, and his big smile. On the field, he will be remembered for one of the biggest plays during the Lions 2016 Big Ten Championship season. The field goal block which teammate Grant Haley scooped and returned for the game winning touchdown against Ohio State.
Allen is only the fifth player in Penn State history to record 300 tackles in a career, finishing with 320 total tackles. He had All Big Ten honors in both 2016 and 2017, earning first team honors this past season. He has been a leader and a great asset for the Nittany Lions, but now turns his attention to his future at the next level.
Strengths
At six-foot-two, 215 pounds, Allen has an NFL ready frame. He is great against the run and has great instincts, lowering the “boom” on opposing players. A great example of this was from the Pitt game this past season. Allen sniffs out where the ball is going, blows by the blocker and makes the big hit for the safety.
With his good instincts, Allen can diagnose the field well. He has good pursuit, takes good angles and has a nose for where the ball is on the field at any given time. Allen is not afraid to give up his body with his physicality and the NFL scouts will love this about him. He could also be a good asset on special teams, in pursuit on kick coverage. Besides his skills at safety, he is a vocal leader and will bring the same leadership to an NFL locker room.
Weaknesses
For a safety, Allen lacks the typical statistics you find for a secondary player, passes defensed and interceptions. He only had a handful of pass defenses in his Penn State career and his lone interception came this past season against Georgia State. He did however force five fumbles over four seasons.
Allen struggles in his coverage if he is not utilized correctly. If left to single coverage in the high middle of the field, he has trouble. He does not have the coverage range of a typical safety and in a man to man situation, he would be left on an island. As great as he is against the run, his aggressiveness sometimes leads to over pursuit and missed tackles.
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Draft expecations
Whatever team drafts Allen, they must utilize his strengths of aggressiveness and powerful tackling. Instead of a starting safety, Allen could be a hybrid linebacker at the next level, especially if he adds some weight. Allen could improve his coverage ability if given the time to hone his skills. However as it stands now, his weaknesses in coverage push him down the draft board into the second day.