Wisconsin football: Braelon Allen taken by New York Jets in the fourth round of the NFL draft

MADISON – The New York Jets selected Wisconsin running back Braelon Allen in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL draft Saturday, taking him with pick No. 134.

Allen, from Fond du Lac, was the second UW player selected, following offensive lineman Tanor Bortolini, who was also taken in the fourth round by the Colts. Former Wisconsin running back Isaac Guerendo was drafted five picks before Allen.

Allen started 24 games and played in 35 in three seasons at UW. Here is everything you need to know about Allen.

What kind of player is Braelon Allen?

Allen, who graduated from high school in just three years and enrolled at UW in 2021, rushed for 3,494 yards and 35 touchdowns at UW and won’t turn 21 until Jan. 20, 2025. He averaged 199 carries per season at UW so he should have plenty of mileage left.

He is a bruising runner who can move the pile in short-yardage situations and can explode if sees and opening and makes a quick cut.

However, he isn’t very elusive and as a result absorbs a lot of contact. Allen missed a handful of games with ankle and shoulder issues at UW. He also isn’t a decisive runner if he doesn’t see a clear opening quickly.

Nevertheless, he was able to average 5.9 yards per carry, the No. 4 mark in program history, without consistently outstanding quarterback play to keep defenses honest. Allen rushed for at least 100 yards in 20 games, tied for the No. 6 mark in program history.

Allen improved as a pass-blocker and can deliver a blow against linebackers but he struggled in 2023 as a receiver in Phil Longo’s system. Longo tried early in the season to get the ball to Allen in the flat, but Allen never got comfortable catching the ball cleanly, turning up and field quickly and punishing would-be tacklers.

What were Braelon Allen’s highlights at Wisconsin?

Allen’s first significant action came in the third game of his freshman season, a 24-0 victory at Illinois.

The Badgers entered the game 0-2 in the Big Ten and 1-3 overall. UW turned to Chez Mellusi and Allen as a 1-2 punch and that duo combined for 276 yards and two touchdowns on 39 carries. Allen averaged 7.3 yards per carry and Mellusi averaged 6.9.

That was the start of a seven-game winning streak that ended with 23-13 loss at Minnesota in the regular-season finale.

Fittingly, Allen’s final game at UW was against rival Minnesota.

He was limited to 47 yards on 17 carries the 10-point loss to the Gophers in 2021 and missed UW’s 23-16 loss to the Gophers in 2022 because of an ankle injury.

Allen responded last season by rushing 26 times for 165 yards and two touchdowns in UW’s 14-point victory over the Gophers to take back Paul Bunyan’s Axe.

“As a team this is what we wanted,” said Allen, who was battling a sprained ankle. “We had to leave here with it. To go out like that for a regular season is amazing.”

How did Braelon Allen fare at the NFL Combine?

Allen wasn’t fully healthy at the combine or at UW’s pro day.

He recorded 26 reps on the bench press (225 pounds) at the combine, had a broad jump of 9 feet 9 inches and had a 32-inch vertical.

Allen opted out of the 40-yard dash at UW’s pro day but did run pass routes and participate in drills designed to show he comes off blocks with the ball in his hands.

“They get a physical, downhill runner, a guy who is smart and takes a lot of pride in protecting the quarterback,” he said, “which obviously is a very important skillset to have in the league. I’m able to diagnose different pressures, different defenses and coverages and things like that, so I think I’m a quarterback’s best friend when it comes to that.”

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Ex-UW running back Braelon Allen taken by New York Jets in NFL draft