Marcus Allen

● Long-limbed athlete, with respectable speed for the position ● Patient feet from press to open and match off the line ● Uncoils firm punch with his long arms to disrupt early phase of the route ● Displays feel for deep patterns and can get his head turned to find the ball (see 2024 NC State tape) ● Anticipates routes well from zone coverage ● Puts his head down and works (NFL scout: “On the quiet side, but kid’s a straight arrow. Raised right.”) ● Regular on punt return coverages ● Quality starting experience; rarely missed playing time (averaged 64 defensive snaps per game past three seasons)

● Lean with a narrow waist, thin wrists/ankles and marginal bulk ● Grabby tendencies when caught off balance, which leads to penalties ● Backpedal is a tad segmented, leading to hitches in his transition burst ● Average lateral quickness when attempting to guard shifty route runners ● Need to see more want-to and finish in his tackling ● Costly missed tackles resulted in avoidable YAC plays on tape ● Responsible for just three turnovers in 51 career games ● Roughing the kicker against Duke in 2025 (turned fourth-and-29 and missed field goal into first-down; Duke scored TD on next play)

A three-year starter at North Carolina, Allen primarily lined up outside in defensive coordinator Steve Belichick’s scheme. He cracked the starting lineup late in his freshman year and became a fixture of the Tar Heels’ secondary under both Brown and Bill Belichick. He led the team in passes defended as a sophomore and senior. As an athlete, Allen isn’t great or deficient — he falls somewhere in between. His linear burst jumps out, but his agility and recovery skills are inconsistent, which leads to grabbing as he attempts to recover (seven pass interference penalties in 2025). He is a route hound from zone and flashes ball skills, but he needs to improve his toughness versus the run. Overall, Allen is a long, lean athlete with ball skills and veteran instincts, although staying attached to NFL athletes (and getting them on the ground) will be a tough hill for him to climb. He projects as a back-end-of-the-roster NFL corner.