Draft Profile: Nate Allen
NAME – Nate Allen
Position – Free safety.
College – South Florida.
Status – Senior, graduated in December ‘09 with degree in communications.
Size/Weight – 6-0½, 207 pounds.
Important numbers – 16 reps on bench press, 34.5-inch vertical jump, 9-feet 6-inch broad jump (he’s yet to run 40-yard dash for NFL teams because of a left quad injury.)
Age – 22.
Honors – Second-team All-Big East defense ‘09.
College career – After a freshman season spent largely on special teams, Allen started the next 39 games at South Florida, where he had strong sophomore and senior seasons, and a not so good junior year. He earned the nickname “The Golden Child” from teammates because he was seldom reprimanded by coaches.
Stats of note – 48 games/39 starts … 224 total tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 1 sack … 9 INTs, 12 passes broken up … 4 fumbles recovered, 2 forced fumbles … 2 catches for 27 yards and a TD … 3 TDs total.
STRENGTHS – Smooth and gifted athlete … he has good speed and excellent range at the back of the defense … he’s got good ball skills and goes after the hanging pass … physical and willing to come up and force the run … high football IQ and gets to where he needs to be … solid, consistent tackler.
WEAKNESSES – He’s not a big hitter and is not on the high end of the speed charts … is inconsistent on his angles when he goes after the ball carrier … does not match up well with wide receivers, especially when they line up in the slot.
THE RIGHT 53? – He was a very good student at USF and has shown he’s dedicated to improving himself both mentally and physically. Coaches said it was like having a coach on the field, as Allen worked the defense and got players lined up in the right spots.
What he said – “I’m not perfect, but It feels good to know that the guys know I want to do everything right, on and off the field.”
End game – A solid second-round prospect that will go high or low in the round depending on whether he can run the 40-yard dash before next Friday night’s second round of selections. Some scouts feel Allen is as good as he’ll ever be, without much of an upside.
ON THE CHIEFS LIST? – Yes, and he’s visited with them in Kansas City. Should they choose to pass on Eric Berry in the first round, they will be looking for safeties with those two second-round choices. Allen could fit right there.
Brrrrrrr…..another 2nd rounder bites the dust. He looks like a project as in 2-3 years before he can start.
Allen is similar to Jarrad Page. We need a run stopping hitter to compliment Page.
[...] Draft Profile: Nate Allen-BobGretz.com [...]
I thought he was better than that until I read your blog Bob. Thanks for the information. I hope they dont draft him now. I here there may be a huge run on corner backs and that Taylor Mays may fall into the second round. If that is the case then it would be insane. You would have to take him with the top and then grab nose tackle with the next pick unless they reach in the first and then grab Dan Williams at five. At nine or ten that would still be a little bit of reach.
According to SI, there are seven “pro-ready” or “can’t miss” players available in the draft. Berry, Clausen, CJ Spiller, Dez Bryant, Okung, Suh, and Rolando McClain. Interesting take…although I don’t agree.
I still think our first pick will be Berry or McClain. Or maybe Suh….if by some chance he happens to fall to us. But, I’ll defer to the experts (Pioli & Co). We’ll find out pretty soon, I guess.
Do not mention to Mr Pioli about the SI view. He said he was unable to understand the concept of 1st round talent or how to id players are having that type of talent.
Think there is a definite possibility, he will again chose a player who fits a position not the best player at #5.
I still think D. Williams a NT will be the pick. If available Suh does not fit. McClain is a reach and while I would love a WR, do not seems like Pioli would (last years parade of over the hill vet was good enough for him).
Still want 4 starters by the beginning of the season from the draft and college free agents. Any vet. free agents are a freebie for the fans.
It’s easy to oversimplify what Pioli said. He knows who the top talents are, but he also feels there’s more to it than that. It’s the make up of the player; how he fits with the other players on the team and the coaches; how he fits within a scheme; and a host of other factors.
Even after all the exhaustive research teams do, we all know the draft is pretty close to a crapshoot, but it’s more so for some teams than others. The teams that seem to get the most out of their drafts are the ones who know exactly which players will fit within their particular team, with their coaches, within their schemes.
I don’t doubt the ability of Pioli-Haley and company to make those decisions. It’s likely the team will get around 4 staters from this draft season. Unless, picks are traded for vets, in which case you would count them.
To me, if you can get 3 or 4 starters and 3 or 4 solid contributors from your draft and college FA signings, your’e doing just fine. If a team can do that year after year, along with expected improvements from young vets and a sprinkling of new vets, your team can get good and stay good in fairly short order.
Fans will never completely agree with team management. That’s just part of the deal. I, for instance, have felt the team bypassed many free agents this offseason who could have improved the team; and not just high-profile guys. I know that’s true, but I also know the Chiefs lack of signings means something. It means they believe the team has many young veteran players who they expect to really blossom this year. That will be great news. We’ll see.
Results are the bottom line in all this. Starting year two, expectations for Pioli-Haley will only continue to climb. If their decisions and their ways of operating lead to team success, all will be well. Although, I’m sure many of us will continue to criticize and disagree, that’s what makes it fun.
I have my own list of players I would like to see the Chiefs draft, and I can’t wait to see if what I think matches up with what they’re thinking. I can’t wait to see what they’re thinking period. I love this time of year.
Well said Michael I agree !!!!!
Yes it is good, turkey hunts, mushroom hunts, crappies spawn, and oh yes the NFL Draft! If Suh falls to 5 what do we do? Can’t pass him up, I don’t think…
No, couldn’t pass him up if he were the top player on the Chiefs board at the time.