Alabama Football: When will Chris Allen be drafted?

Alabama football has a talented pass rusher in the draft

So many things influence where players go in the NFL Draft. Positional value is taken into account, and where teams draft goes a long way. There is a debate about production vs. potential, and random measurables always influence the draft. With this Alabama football player, the pre-draft process has created a strange situation.

Chris Allen had a long career with the Crimson Tide, but injuries plagued his college career. He only played one full season with Alabama football, but he dominated in that year. In 2020, Allen forced two fumbles and racked up six sacks.

2021 was supposed to be Allen’s breakout year. He played alongside an elite talent in Will Anderson, and that was going to give him favorable matchups all season. Unfortunately, he went down with a foot injury in Alabama football’s season opener, keeping him out for the rest of the season.

Allen is now hoping to prove himself in the NFL, but he has a lot of catching up to do. In a deep edge class, Allen lacks production and health. He was unable to fully perform at the NFL Combine, and scouts last saw him leave the field with another injury.

Teams will be worried about his injury history, but there is elite upside with Allen. He proved that he is capable of disrupting plays during his one healthy season. If he can stay healthy in the NFL, he could develop into a great pass rusher.

Still, drafting players with injury histories is risky. What does that mean for Allen? Teams are looking for immediate contributors in the first three rounds. Because of this, I put Allen’s ceiling in the fourth round. He will likely go in the fifth or sixth round, and a seventh-round selection feels like his floor. I don’t see him going undrafted, but I said the same about Dylan Moses last season.

Teams with plenty of picks should take a flyer on Allen. He will have more upside than most players on Day 3.