Brian Allen’s first five seasons in the NFL have been a rollercoaster. He didn’t start until Year 2, and when he did take the reins at center, he was limited to nine games in 2019 and missed the entire 2020 season with a knee injury.
He bounced back in a big way as Pro Football Focus’ sixth-highest-graded center in the NFL in 2021, but once again, he missed significant time due to injury last season. So where does he stand heading into the upcoming season, his sixth as a pro?
PFF surprisingly believes he’ll be one of the better players at his position. The site ranked Allen as the 12th-best center in the NFL for 2023, citing his strong performance in 2021.
Allen’s career took a big step forward in 2021, his third season after entering the league as a fourth-round rookie out of Michigan State in 2018. He finished that season as the 10th highest-graded player at the position while his 79.7 PFF run blocking grade ranked eighth.
Allen was one of the many offensive linemen to miss extended time last year, being limited to just seven games. He struggled when he was healthy, ranking 20th among all centers in overall grading, finishing the year 37th in pass-blocking (59.2).
Allen may be viewed as the 12th-best center in the league heading into this season, but he’s not even guaranteed to be a starter. If rookie Steve Avila or Coleman Shelton outplay Allen in training camp, one of the two could start over the sixth-year veteran, potentially resulting in Allen’s release.
That seems unlikely to happen right now, but if the offensive line is going to be a true meritocracy not dependent on contract status, Allen could find himself on the outside looking in.
