There’s a reason why Jets I loved the fourth round pick in this year’s draft, Braelon Allen.
The young running back has generated nothing but positive reviews for his training camp displays and he was able to carry that over to Pre-season opening on Saturday afternoon against Washington’s commanders.
“We’re all excited to see him and he didn’t disappoint,” head coach Roberto Saleh he said. “When he got to the second level it was painful just to touch him, he is a very heavy runner and it was really cool to see him on the field today.”
Led by veteran backup Tirod Taylor with the star quarterback Aaron Rodgers and most of the starters resting, the Jets’ offense got off to a bit of a slow start, as they went three-and-out on each of the game’s first two drives.
But they finally got things going on the first try of the second quarter, when Allen broke free for two impressive long runs, helping them move up the field and put points on the scoreboard.
“I feel like it always takes me time to get into the flow,” he said. “In my first loads I don’t always feel like my legs are working as they should, but the more loads I get the stronger I get, and I managed to impose my will a little on the last few today. ”
Allen put his game-changing attributes on full display and his slow afternoon quickly turned positive as he finished with a total of 54 yards on six carries for an impressive average of 9.0 yards per touch.
“It was a dream come true,” he said. “Just arriving at the stadium and having the feeling that I’m actually here now was an incredible feeling, and then putting on the pads and running onto the field for the first time was emotional. Overall, it was an incredible moment and an incredible game.”
The 20-year-old appears to be quickly solidifying himself as the favorite for touches among All-Pro running backs Breece Hall this season.
But Saleh says he and the rest of the coaching staff also liked what they saw from the rest of the group, including fellow rookie Isaiah Davis who led the team with four receptions in Saturday’s win.
“We loved that running room,” the head coach said. “We’ve really come a long way since the first day we were here at camp and we feel like we have some legit runners at all levels.”
