Antonio Allen scouting report

Antonio Allen S South Carolina #26
Ht: 6’1″Wt: 201  
Strengths:
Does a nice job fighting through traffic considering his modest size. A scrappy player who won’t back down from bigger, more physical assignments. Decent ball skills; will come down with the interception when he’s in position. Experienced as pass rusher off the edge; speed makes him tough to block and will get into the backfield fairly frequently. High energy player who gives a solid effort on every play. A true sideline-to-sideline defender who makes a lot of plays in pursuit.
Weaknesses:
Frequently lined up at weak-side linebacker in college, but lacks the size to play anything but safety in the pros. Vision/awareness are very average; does not consistently keep his eye on the ball carrier and misses a lot of opportunities to make plays by reacting late. Limited experience in man coverage. Very much willing to play the run, but tackling technique is shaky. Not a wrap-up tackler; tends to swipe low with his arms or go for the big hit. Hesitates a lot in zone coverage and will bite on pump fakes. Delayed enrollment in school to focus on academics for a year at Hargrave Military Acadamy; also played limited role in freshman season to continue to focus on academics. Suffered concussion in 2009. Missed two games with hamstring injury in 2010. Missed time with “neck spasms” in 2011.
Comments:
Allen is very raw, but it’s tough to blame him for his deficiencies. South Carolina used him as a weak-side linebacker early in his career, and used him in a hybrid safety/linebacker role during his final seasons. As a result, he’s going to be a strong run defender for a safety, but his coverage skills need a lot of work. Most of the issues simply stem from a lack of experience, and he should improve with time. He’s a developmental prospect, but definitely has the basic skills necessary to develop into a solid contributor. Due to his intensity on the field, he should also be a strong special teams performer.
Videos:
2011 vs Nebraska
2011 vs Auburn
2011 vs East Carolina