Roger Allen, 6'3" 326G, Missouri Western State
Rankings: Pro Football Weekly: 8th-ranked guard, grading as a late draftable prospect with a better-than-average chance to make an NFL roster.
NFLDraftScout.com: 10th-ranked guard, #188 player overall. Projected as a 5th-6th round pick.
Biography/Honors:
Started all 48 games of his college career, playing both guard positions, and 3 games at right tackle his senior year. MWSU ran for over 2,000 yards in each of Allen's first three years on the offensive line. Three-time MIAA all-conference first team.
2008: Named to first team Division II All-America by the Associated Press and the American Football Coaches Association.
* Led Division II in blocking consistency grade (88.25%) and key blocks/knockdowns (107).
* Allowed only one sack and two QB pressures, all at right tackle, while committing only two penalties.
* NFL Draft Scout named him to its Division II All-America team and rated him the best small-school offensive lineman in the country.
2007: Named to NFL Draft Scout Division II All-America team.
* Ranked third in Division II with 85.5% blocking consistency grade. Recorded 92 key blocks/knockdowns. Gave up no sacks, one pressure and committed just one penalty.
2006: 90 key blocks/knockdowns, allowed 1.5 sacks and no pressures.
2005: MIAA conference Freshman of the Year, the first offensive lineman to win the award. 90 key blocks/knockdowns.
Major: Business management.
Injuries: sports hernia during the Texas vs. The Nation game held Roger out of the NFL Combine. Played through a shoulder injury in 2008, unspecified but serious enough that he saw Dr. James Andrews, who gave him a clean bill of health.
Pro Day Stats:
38 bench presses at Missouri's pro day, which would have been 2nd best of all combine participants. John Greco benched 30 last year and was considered one of that draft's strongest o-linemen.
At the Missouri Western pro day a couple of weeks later:
* 32 benches
* 5.28 40 with 1.87 and 2.98 splits (Greco: 5.16/1.70/2.97)
* 4.53 20-yard shuttle (Greco: 4.63)
* 7.47 3-cone drill (Greco: 7.78)
* 29-inch vertical leap (Greco: 32)
* 9'1" broad jump (Greco: 9'0") (Who knew guards were such leapers?)
And it rained in St. Joseph, MO that day and all of Allen's drills were apparently run on the basketball court in their gym.
Positives: Big, mauling offensive lineman who dominated at the Division II level. With power and explosion uncommon to that level, opponents could not move him. Bone-jarring hitter who can level people and create gaping holes. Often defeated multiple defenders by throwing one into the other. Powerful upper body, good leg drive, good hips. Good body control. Explodes out of his stance and works to finish blocks. Good initial quickness and pad level. Very good hands and strong punch. Executes short pulls and traps well. More quick than fast, but effective getting out of his stance and out to second level. Good field awareness and ability to adjust mid-play. Alert and reacts quickly to blitzes, stunts and twists. Good knee bend and very little waist bend as a pass blocker. Uses his hands well in pass pro and recovers quickly against counter moves. High football IQ. Excellent work ethic, leader in locker room, no off-field issues. Plays through pain. Plays with a mean streak, plays to punish people, plays to the whistle. Model of consistency throughout his career. Strength, instincts and tenacity a little reminiscent of Larry Allen. Strong performance in Texas vs. Nation game until he got injured. One of only seven D-II players invited to the Combine. Six teams went to his Missouri Western tryout and the Panthers were reportedly extremely interested.
Negatives: Just adequate height and athleticism for the next level. Could stand to add another 15 lbs. Lacks great timed speed and doesn't pack the same kind of wallop on long runs that he does in the phone booth. Needs to hold block longer in pass pro. Punches and overextends against quicker defenders instead of latching on and keeping his feet moving. Winds up on the ground too often. May go for the big pancake block a little too much, like a safety who misses tackles going for the highlight reel hit. Very low level of competition. Ability in space to play RT at next level is doubtful.
Compares to: Brian Winters.
Fun Fact: Did you know college football has a Mineral Water Bowl? And that it's been a college bowl game since 1954? Roger played in three Mineral Water Bowls at Missouri Western. They won two but lost 37-16 last year to Augustana.
His last two college seasons, Allen gave up only two sacks, 3 QB pressures and committed just three penalties... that's a typical game for Richie Incognito! Upon joining the Rams, Allen had the good taste to claim Adam Timmerman's old number, 62.
RamView: Leave it to the NFL to have cracks big enough for a 326-pound man to fall through. Roger Allen arguably has third-round game skills and physical ability, but: the NFL thinks he's too high-risk, coming from a small school; the NFL doesn't think guards should be drafted particularly high at all (the 8th LB was off the board in 2009 by pick #45; the 8th guard went #239); and he had that unfortunate injury right before the NFL Combine. If he'd have cranked 38 benches in Indianapolis, there's no way in hell he wouldn't have been drafted. Instead, the Rams made themselves another astute pickup in free agency. The Rams haven't had a hit-you-in-the-mouth offensive line in a long time; who better to pick up to build such a line now than Roger Allen? Hit-you-in-the-mouth is what he lives! Plus, he's a smart player who adjusts well on the fly and commits very few penalties, RICHIE INCOGNITO AND ALEX BARRON. Thumbs up. Roger Allen should make this team.
Sources: 2009 Pro Football Weekly Draft Preview, NFL.com, CBSSports.com, StLouisRams.com, St. Joseph News-Press, Wikipedia, GoGriffons.com, drafthistory.com, NFLDraftBible.com, PatriotsDaily.com (sorry)
photo from the Baltimore Sun
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