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Matt Allen NFL Draft Profile
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Matt Allen Scouting ReportMatt Allen was part of the 2019 Rimington Trophy Watch List and named Academic All-Big Ten selection in 2017. He started 16 games over the past two seasons, with 30 total games played collegiately. His older brother, Brian, currently is a center with the Los Angeles Rams. Allen has been an anchor the past two seasons under Mark Dantonio. The 3-star, 2016 commit has thrived on their inside zone blocking scheme and has displayed quickness to be effective on pulls, reaches and second level blocks. Matt displays good posture, knee bend, and a solid base. He has good hand placement in run and pass. Shows strong latch ability to control and steer man. Allen has a solid core strength to sustain and turn his man to seal off gaps. He shows good mobility to get to targets on blocks in space and takes a good track on second level blocks. Matt keeps head on swivel and looks for work when left uncovered in pass protection. He has good width on his first step on reach and pull blocks. He has good awareness on stunts and blitzes. Allen has a solid anchor ability against bull rushes. He has a decent ability to reset his hands when his initial strike misses or he needs to regain leverage at the POA.
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Areas for ImprovementAllen shows a lack of pop on initial punch, even with elbows and hands in tight. He is not consistent on hand timing, allowing defenders to get to his chest first or swipe away his hands. He is inconsistent utilizing his drag hand. He struggled a bit on his assigned man with gap exchanges. Allen plays with a high pad level at times. He lacks strength to drive defender and widen the hole. Mostly stalemates his man. He suffered left leg injury (2nd half vs Michigan 2018, didn’t return to game; missed next 3 games). He suffered right knee injury (4th quarter vs Penn State 2019, didn’t return to game; missed next 4 games).
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Matt Allen Career at SchoolFour-year letterwinner played in 44 career games, including 30 starts at center (seven in 2018, nine in 2019, one in 2020, 13 in 2021). He returned for a sixth year in 2021 and participated in spring practice after missing most of the 2020 season with a foot injury. He was selected to play in the 2022 Hula Bowl in Orlando.
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Matt Allen NFL Draft Player ProfileThe Spartan center can bring a lot to the table as an interior lineman at the next level. Allen has a strong anchor in pass protection that makes the ability to push him back into the quarterback difficult. He has the versatility to play guard but his best position will be center where he can command an offensive line. He has the leadership qualities that you want to see in an experienced collegiate lineman and it could translate to the next level. Allen has experience at the offensive line position, already accumulating 17 starts even with missing a majority of the 2020 season with injury. Being the technically sound player that he is, Allen’s pass protection is really solid and one of the main strengths of his game. Not to be understated in Allen’s game is his ability to push the pile when he’s run blocking. His lockout ability is evident in not letting the defensive tackles get any type of leverage on the inside. He has some impressive strength in his lower body that makes him tough to get by.
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