Davis Allen Could be an NFL Draft Steal

Clemson tight end Davis Allen is an unheralded talent that could be a late find for teams in this year's draft

There is plenty of tight end talk in this year's NFL draft. Names like Michael Mayer, Dalton Kincaid, and Darnell Washington are all talked about consistently in terms of helping NFL teams immediately. A common trend among draft followers, however, is that when a position group has a high ceiling in terms of the top players on the board the guys following that group tend to have some hidden gems that get looked over. 

Clemson's own Davis Allen could be just one of those gems. At 6-foot-6 and 245 pounds, Allen boasts an impressive frame. Combine that with the ability to go up and high point the ball with strong hands and you have a guy that could easily be a weapon in the red zone. In fact, Pro Football Focus just gave Allen their tight end superlative for "best at the catch point" in the class. While his speed and measurable athleticism may keep him out of the top group taken in the first couple of rounds, his combination of hands and blocking ability may still have Allen going in the 4th-6th round range.

Davis Allen caught 12 touchdowns during his time at Clemson

Certainly coming from a program like Clemson, he's had plenty of eyes on him and his film, but the Tigers' offensive issues have been well documented the last couple of seasons which can have a detrimental effect on perception for individual players. This is especially true when production isn't quite as high as some would have hoped for.

Allen, on the other hand, doesn't seem to care about the stats as he told reporters, "If someone told me you could win a Super Bowl but had to stand on the sidelines and hold the water then I would do it with a smile on my face."  Of course, he's a competitive player who would want to contribute but most successful teams need that type of selfishness from their role guys so there's something to be valued there as well. Hidden gems in the draft often don't come with eye-popping stats and Davis is clearly just looking for a chance to prove his ability to compete at the next level no matters how it comes. He told reporters after Clemson's pro day, "I just want to get my foot in the door. I mean, go third round? Great. Free agent? Great. I just want an opportunity."