FantasyPros will be taking a look at early NFL Draft scouting reports before the Combine in February. Here’s a look at Penn State running back Kaytron Allen.
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2026 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Kaytron Allen
Kaytron Allen (RB – Penn State)
5-foot-11 | 219 Pounds
Background
Kaytron Allen was a four-star recruit out of the IMG Academy who spent his collegiate career essentially splitting carries with Nicholas Singleton before emerging as more of the primary back this past year.
Carried 167-867-10 (5.2) in 2022, 172-902-6 (5.2) in 2023 and 220-1,108-8 (5.0) in 2024. Concluded his collegiate career with 210-1,303-15 (6.2). Also added 70 career catches in the receiving game, with 20 in 2022 being his single-season high.
Positives
A consistent four-year contributor whose role expanded over the course of his collegiate career, eventually establishing himself as the lead back over five-star recruit Nicholas Singleton. Relatively well-built runner who has proven he can carry a heavy load, and who runs with a pretty low pad level. Effective at executing the one-cut, east-west concepts that Penn State utilized this past season.
Shows solid patience and vision when executing different rushing concepts and knows how to use pace changes to set up blocks and create rushing lanes. Exhibits clean footwork to slot into rushing lanes, with sharp cuts before hitting the line of scrimmage and when working through traffic. Weaves through congestion, which is one of his best traits as a runner.
Allen’s overall burst in the hole is solid. A shifty back with the lateral quickness to make defenders miss one-on-one, and who has the contact balance/lower-body strength to run through arm tackles and glancing blows. Nice competitor after contact, and generally fights to finish his runs with good leg drive. Wasn’t the primary goal-line back, but can get low and run behind his pads to burrow into the end zone. Ball security is very good, with only five career fumbles (plus one as a receiver). Also offers a solid pair of hands as a receiver.
Negatives
There are flashes of physicality to his game, but overall is probably better described as competitive than powerful. Has pretty good speed, but will probably end up as more of a chunk gainer than a home-run hitter, although he broke off some longer rushes this year than in the past.
Allen occasionally struggled to line up opponents in blitz pickup. Doesn’t have the ideal contact balance for that role. Sometimes also lapses into throwing a shoulder rather than engaging with form. Wasn’t used as the team’s primary receiver out of the backfield. Usage in that capacity is essentially that of a safety valve on swings/flats.
Summary
A four-year contributor for a major program, Allen combines solid patience and vision with impressive cutting/shiftiness, good burst and impressive competitiveness at the end of his runs. He doesn’t have elite physical or athletic traits and is perhaps not as naturally powerful as Singleton.
Allen might have the more sophisticated pure rushing skills of the two. Looks like he could become an effective part of a running-back rotation at the next level, although he’ll have to improve his passing-game skills to become more than that.
Projection: Round 3/Round 4
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