The Minnesota Vikings rushing attack was abysmal last year. After moving on from Dalvin Cook in the offseason, Minnesota’s running back corps of Alexander Mattison and Ty Chandler could not replace the void Cook left in the offense.
Although letting Cook go proved to be the right move, given his struggles with the New York Jets, Minnesota’s replacement plan was less than adequate. Mattison was the primary back for most of the season, only recorded 3.9 yards per carry, and had no rushing touchdowns. Chandler showed flashes of what he could be toward the end of the season. But he was inconsistent, and his pass-blocking left much to be desired.
The Vikings could take advantage of this strong free-agent running back draft class and add a premier back like Derrick Henry or Saquon Barkley. But a better bet would be to look at the draft, given how quickly we have seen running backs fall off as they age.
Vikings fans may cringe when you suggest the answer to next year’s ground attack could come from Madison. Take a deep breath. That’s M-A-D-I-S-O-N, the capital across the border, home of the University of Wisconsin, the alma mater of running back Braelon Allen.
Allen ran for 1,268 yards as a 17-year-old true freshman, averaging 6.8 yards per carry. He has been the Badgers’ primary running back since stepping on campus. But while he looked like potentially the next generational running back his freshman year, Allen’s production dipped over the next two years. His yards per attempt fell from 6.8 to 5.4 the next two seasons. New head coach Luke Fickell was implementing an air-raid offense, and Allen dealt with minor nagging lower body injuries. As a result, Allen saw his first season with under 1,000 yards last year.
At 6’2”, 245 lbs., Allen is a physical specimen. He has the size and tools to be successful at the next level, and at 20 years old, he will be one of the youngest players in the NFL next season. Allen routinely shrugged off individual tacklers at Wisconsin by barreling through them.
Even more impressive is that he didn’t go down at first contact, recording an average of 3.77 yards after contact per rushing attempt. Allen often had to deal with that because opponents would stack the box against Wisconsin due to their subpar quarterback play. Minnesota’s offense could use Allen’s ability to both take contact and continue to move forward after getting hit.
Allen excels in short-yardage situations, using his body and burst to get the yards he needs in compact spaces. That skill will prove especially valuable in and around the goal line, where Minnesota’s offense struggled to move the ball on the ground this season.
While his violent running style in between the tackles is his trademark, Allen has also demonstrated the ability to get to the edge and make plays on the outside. Despite his massive size, Allen moves well and is fast. While lateral speed certainly isn’t his strength, it keeps the defense honest and provides a counter against dominating nose tackles who eat up the middle of the field.
Allen’s size is one of his biggest assets, but it also might be his most prevalent hindrance because Allen lacks the lateral speed most would desire. Like Mattison, Allen is a north-south runner. He struggles to make more than one cut and lacks the agility to make defenders whiff. He takes some time to change directions and will struggle to do so in the NFL, where the defenders are quicker.
Although the idea of a running back with Mattison’s similar bruising style might frighten Vikings fans, Allen sets himself apart with his vision. In college, he used his eyes and physicality to determine who to take on at the first and second levels. He was able to anticipate contact and move forward instead of running dead into contact, which will be important in the NFL.
Allen is a capable pass blocker and a pass catcher, but the University of Wisconsin didn’t ask him to do much of the latter. In three years, he only recorded 49 receptions. Allen has proven to have a safe pair of hands when targeted but is not a receiving back. He must develop a more complete route tree to be a true three-down back in the NFL.
Ball security is another area where Allen needs to improve immediately. Allen fumbled nine times in his three years with the Badgers. Allen would lose his grip on the ball fighting for extra yards, and opponents often knocked it loose. For a team like the Vikings, who struggled with turnovers all season, these sorts of mistakes could see him fall out of favor quickly.
League executives have devalued the running back position and emphasized smaller, shiftier running backs who are also elite pass-catchers. Therefore, Allen looks like a relic of an era gone by. In previous years, a running back of his size and talent would have gone on Day 1 or early Day 2. But in the current NFL, Allen will likely be a late Day 2 or early Day 3 pick.
If this is the case, the Vikings should be more than willing to select him and pair him with the more explosive Chandler to form a solid one-two punch. NFL defenses are shifting toward smaller, more agile linebackers. So, a big, physically dominating running back like Allen would be harder to bring down and force defenses to move away from their strengths.
Adding him to Minnesota’s running back room would provide upside and stability to a group in desperate need of both.
