Davis Allen, TE Clemson Tigers: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Allen was a three-star recruit from Calhoun High School in Calhoun, Ga. in the class of 2019

Clemson Tigers tight end Davis Allen has never been a high-volume pass catcher, but the senior plays a versatile role in the offense. Allen won’t hear his name called on either of the first two days of the 2023 NFL Draft, but he should find a home before the process is over.

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Davis Allen, TE Clemson Tigers: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Senior tight end from Calhoun, Ga.

Background: Allen was a three-star recruit from Calhoun High School in Calhoun, Ga. in the class of 2019. He was the No. 807 recruit according to 247Sports and No. 778 for On3.com. Allen was an unranked three-star recruit for Rivals. Allen was an unranked three-star recruit for ESPN with a 78 grade out of 100. He also played defense in high school, earning Region 6 AAA Defensive Player of the Year and County Defensive Player of the Year honors. Allen also participated in baseball and basketball in high school. As a senior, he averaged 10.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, an assist, a steal, and 2.6 blocks per game according to MaxPreps. The previous season, he averaged 15 points, 8.2 rebounds, a steal, and 1.2 blocks per game. Allen left high school with 743 points and 507 rebounds in basketball. His father (John) was a linebacker at Georgia from 1988-91, and his brother was a defensive end at Air Force. Allen was born on Feb. 3, 2001.

2021 Production: 13 games, 28 receptions, 208 yards, 3 touchdowns

2020 Production: 12 games, 16 receptions, 247 yards, 4 touchdowns

2019 Production: 15 games, 5 receptions, 53 yards

Injuries & Off-Field: N/A

Awards: 2021 ACC Honor Roll

Pros: Drops are extremely rare, rarely penalized, dominant in contested catch situations, experience playing in-line, H-back, and in the slot, quarterback’s security blanket and best friend, unselfish player willing to sacrifice touches for the good of the team, special teams experience on the kick return, punt coverage, and field goal units, quick footwork and good job sinking at the top of his stem, understands and executes his blocks in the running game, mobile blocker who is comfortable eliminating second-level targets, basketball background shows in how he highpoints and attacks the football, plays above smaller defenders at the catch point, finds the soft spot in zones, high-end ball skills, downfield routes are crisp, establishes outside leverage as a blocker on linemen and linebackers to set the edge, good pop at contact as a blocker, long arms to help block and extend his catch radius, smart and patient with angles when blocking

Cons: Low-volume pass catcher, infrequently used 20+ yards downfield, not a sudden or twitchy athlete, doesn’t consistently break tackles and generate YAC, lacks the speed to threaten defenses vertically, occasionally throws shoulders as a blocker rather than squaring up to his target, lacks a mauler mentality, stonewalls defenders as a blocker but rarely moves them backward, doesn’t consistently generate separation against man coverage, needs to block with better pad level, lean lower half, inexperienced and lacking technical development in pass protection, better at sealing defenders than moving them

Overview: Allen is unofficially listed at 6'6", 250 lbs. The former three-star recruit plays a versatile role for the Tigers. Clemson’s offense lines Allen up in the slot, at H-back, in-line, and occasionally at outside wide receiver. The offense frequently sends him in motion to set up run plays as well. Allen is a very consistent skill player. He rarely drops the ball or commits penalties and operates as a security blanket for DJ Uiagalelei. Allen excels at finding openings in zone. He displays quick footwork and does a good job sinking at the top of his stem, which allows him to run crisp routes. The Georgia native’s basketball background translates to the field. He dominates in contested catch situations, high pointing the football and rising above defenders to meet it with soft hands. Allen’s long arms extend his catch radius and help him win as a blocker. He understands and executes his blocks in the running game at a high level, although there’s still room for his pad level and hand placement to improve. Allen is a mobile blocker who takes smart angles to eliminate second-level targets. While he’s not a mauler, Allen displays good pop at the point of contact. He has the strength to seal edge rushers and has a strong understanding of horizontal leverage. Unfortunately, Allen lacks high-end physical traits. He’s not sudden or twitchy, and his speed doesn’t threaten defenses vertically. Allen generates limited yards after the catch and doesn’t break many tackles. He doesn’t separate well against man coverage, which leads to his contested catch opportunities. While he sustains blocks and seals defenders, he infrequently moves bodies off the line of scrimmage. Allen occasionally throws shoulders as a blocker rather than squaring up to his target and lacks experience and development in pass protection. Luckily, he’s a highly experienced special teams player with over 400 snaps split between the kick return, punt coverage, and field goal units.

Overall, Allen possesses a large frame, reliable hands, the strength to seal defenders as a run blocker, the size to play over smaller defenders, and a high football IQ, but he lacks standout athletic traits that many teams covet in modern tight ends. Allen is a quarterback-friendly pass catcher who will begin his career as a back-of-the-roster player before working into a larger role.

Role & Scheme Fit: Backup tight end with slot/in-line versatility

Round Projection: Late Fifth to Late Sixth

Player Comparison: N/A

Submitted: 10-06-22