NFL Draft: Top 25 prospects from the Big 12

For many, Dakota Allen may already be a household name after his appearance on the Netflix show, Last Chance U. More importantly for Allen, however, is that he has the opportunity to become the first player from the show to be drafted. There’s plenty of reasons to believe he’ll be the first to break the barrier.

Quick and physical, Allen’s engine never stops. And despite his smaller-than-desired size for an inside linebacker (6-foot-1, 235 pounds), Allen still owns above-average tackling ability. Even while dealing with injuries his senior season, Allen accumulated 73 tackles and was named to the All-Big 12 Defensive First-Team by Pro Football Focus for the second consecutive year.

Allen’s greatest asset and the skill most likely to attract an NFL team is his coverage skills. Thanks to his quickness and awareness, Allen diagnoses routes quickly and makes plays on the ball with his excellent closing speed. Allen recorded five interceptions during his college career. Matt Miller of Bleacher Report has Allen as the top-ranked pass-coverage linebacker in the 2019 draft.

With an attention-worthy outing at the combine, Allen could see his stock rise precipitously before the NFL Draft and become a consistent contributor at the next level.