2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Syracuse RB LeQuint Allen Jr.

From now until the 2025 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top 10 picks, down to Day 3 selections, and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Syracuse RB LeQuint Allen Jr.

#1 LeQuint Allen Jr./RB Syracuse – 6002, 207 pounds (Junior)

Measurements

THE GOOD

– Impressive listed size with big hands
– All-around player capable of contributing on all four downs
– North/South runner who doesn’t look to dance or get cute
– Runs with consistent leg drive and ability to churn out tough yards despite lack of innate power or muscle, tough customer who comes up large when team needs yards
– Able to plan foot in ground and get vertical, one-cut style
– Plus contact balance and can spin off defenders
– Runs with high knees and light feet, able to avoid low arm tackles
– Has speed to reach and turn corner
– Receiver-like in the passing game, smooth with natural hands and serious asset out of the backfield who gobbled up targets
– Runs crisp underneath routes to set up and break away from linebackers in coverage
– Comfortable aligning all over the formation, including split out wide
– Limited but successful punt returner with coverage/special teams background early in college career
– Strong overall athletic profile, capable hurdler
– Quality production
– Young but with solid amount of carries
– Tough mindset and played hurt and basically never missed games

The Bad

– High-cut profile and runner, long legs, and built more like a wide receiver
– Runs upright and tall, allowing defenders to get under and sap his power with good wrap-up tackles
– Stiffer lower half and isn’t elusive to make defenders miss in open field, too often taken down 1v1 in space
– Isn’t a big-play runner with average long speed, can get more what’s blocked but won’t make game-changing play; numbers reflect in seasonal and career YPC along with advanced metrics
– Tough runner but isn’t a bruiser with overwhelming power
– Willing pass protector but limited exposure because of route-running; tendency to drop eyes on contact
– Below-average/poor college YPC

Bio

– Turns 21 in August of 2025
– Career: 514 carries, 2,359 yards (4.6 YPC) 26 TDs, 119 receptions for 848 yards and six scores (receptions and yards are school records for a RB),
– Five career punt returns for 91 yards (long of 53)
– 2024: 228 carries, 1,021 yards (4.5 YPC), 64 receptions for 521 yards and four scores
– 2024 (per PFF): 124 snaps aligned out wide or in slot, 90 such snaps in 2023
– Saw time as Wildcat QB in 2023 (57 snaps)
– 62 kick coverage snaps in freshman/2022 season
– Four career fumbles (1 in 2024)
– Three-star recruit from Millville, New Jersey, chose Syracuse over Pitt, West Virginia, Virginia, and a couple other smaller schools
– 2021 New Jersey Gatorade Football Player of the Year, rushed for over 1,900 yards and 26 touchdowns senior year of HS, along with 17 receptions (two-time team captain in HS)
– Two-way player who also played DB with 131 tackles, five INTs, and three FFs during senior season
– Ten career college games of 20-plus carries (once had a 40-carry outing in regional final in high school)
– High school coach called him “fun” and “humble”
– Began holding youth camps during freshman year at Syracuse
– Cousin of former NFL RB Ryquell Armstead
– Father was shot and killed on Valentine’s Day, 2023; Allen began going by “Jr.” afterward to honor him
– Allen Jr. was suspended by Syracuse in May of 2023 after being charged with misdemeanor assault for punching a man at a party; Allen Jr. claimed self-defense and the case was settled and to be expunged if he didn’t get into trouble for six months
– Allen Jr. filed a lawsuit against Syracuse to overturn suspension (did not ask for money); Allen and the school reached an agreement in July 2023 that allowed him to return in August 2023 and play
– Badly injured leg against UNLV in 2024 but missed only a few snaps, returned with sleeve, and finished out the game

Tape Breakdown

LeQuint Allen starred at Millville High School in New Jersey before heading to Syracuse and becoming a two-year starter for the Orange. He was consistent and productive, with back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, but he really burst onto the scene in 2024, finding the end zone 20 times.

While he’s a running back, Allen’s receiving chops separate him from most. Perhaps the most natural, fluid, and productive receiving back in the entire draft class, he moves and acts like a wideout. Allen is effective on check-downs, screens, and underneath option routes. Syracuse moved him around the formation and got creative with his skillset.

He has big and strong hands, plucks away from his frame without difficulty or double-catches, and is quick to get upfield. As a route runner, he has good head-fakes and burst to break away from linebackers.

Despite possessing a leaner frame and tall run style, Allen flashes impressive leg drive and finish, able to grind out hard-fought yards and contact balance through defenders. He came up massive with two big plays late in a comeback win against UNLV, with a 4th and 1 broken tackle to convert and the game-winning score carrying defenders over the goal line.

Keep in mind that Allen injured his leg earlier in the game and still made these plays despite being visibly injured and limping.

Negatively, Allen is high-cut—all legs, no torso. He runs high and tall, and when defenders can get under him, which they often can because of Allen’s height and style, he loses power.

His lower body tightness, partly because he’s so long, makes it hard to slip open-field tacklers and turn good plays into great ones.

His production is good but not overwhelming. A YPC over well under 5 yards in both seasons as a starting back is disappointing in the college ranks, and he wasn’t a big-play runner. In 2023, he had just 28 runs of 10-plus yards on over 220 carries. In our guide of explosive run rates from the top draft-eligible runners, his career 10-plus rate was fourth-worst, while his 20-plus rate was fifth-worst. And Allen isn’t a bruiser lacking athleticism.

Calling him a back who got just what was blocked is unfair, but he wasn’t a breakaway runner who often burst into the open field. Maybe the more pro-style system had something to do with that, but still, if it didn’t happen in college, it’s hard to think it’ll turn around in the NFL.

While he catches with the best of them, his pass protection is shakier. He’s willing but must improve his technique, and, frankly, he didn’t do a lot of it. He often better used releasing into the route than staying in to protect.

Conclusion

Overall, Allen has run tape and a standout, separating trait. His receiving ability is top-notch, and he’s a tough runner with leg drive. The overall foundation of his game is there: athleticism, toughness, receiving ability, and even a special teams background. There’s a lot to like.

But I struggle with his fit. How good of a runner is he? How well does he pass protect? There’s definitely third-down attractiveness, but can he be a 1B/No. 2 complementary runner to give him early-down value? I’m wrestling with that. Still, I lean on the side of liking his traits and tape, and he should have good value in a strong RB class.

My NFL comp is digging into a previous era because Allen’s size and catching ability is uncommon. I land on former Indianapolis Colts’ RB Joseph Addai, who caught a healthy number of NFL passes, wasn’t very shifty, and didn’t have the big-play ability with a career-long of 46 yards on over 1,000 NFL carries. Less optimistically, former Los Angeles Chargers Justin Jackson is also a fair comparison.

Projection: Late Day Three
Depot Draft Grade: 7.4 – Fourth Round (Rotational Player)
Games Watched: vs Georgia Tech (2024), at UNLV (2024), vs Miami (FL – 2024), Receiving Cut-Ups