The Dallas Cowboys lost to the Detroit Lions on Thursday night, but they were able to pick up some help on Monday night to make it hurt a little bit less. Shout out to the Los Angeles Chargers for beating the Philadelphia Eagles. Seriously. This is huge. It took overtime, but it happened! The Cowboys’ […] The Dallas Cowboys lost to the Detroit Lions on Thursday night, but they were able to pick up some help on Monday night to make it hurt a little bit less. Shout out to the Los Angeles Chargers for beating the Philadelphia Eagles. Seriously. This is huge. It took overtime, but it happened! The Cowboys’ loss to Detroit coupled with the little bit of help (being generous) they received across the rest of Week 14 made their hopes of a Wild Card spot seem all the more improbable. There is a strong argument to be made that the most probable path left for Dallas is as the NFC East winner and that potential reality became more possible thanks to the Chargers beating Philly. In order for the Cowboys to win the NFC East at this point they have to win out and pick up two more Eagles losses. Remaining Eagles games: Las Vegas Raiders at Washington Commanders at Buffalo Bills Washington Commanders Had the Eagles won then Dallas would have needed another loss from this group which would have been hard to imagine. This is why Monday night’s result is so big. While the Cowboys did lose last week the idea of them holding up their end of this bargain carries legitimate possibility. Remaining Cowboys games: Minnesota Vikings Los Angeles Chargers at Washington Commanders at New York Giants The Cowboys will have to face these same Chargers next Sunday. Hopefully they keep up with the plan to help Dallas win the NFC East then, too. See More: Dallas Cowboys Playoffs

The 44-30 loss to the Detroit Lions last week hasn’t mathematically eliminated the Dallas Cowboys from the playoffs, but the chances of sneaking in are extremely slim. With the 2025 NFL season all but over for them, it might be time to start focusing a little more on the future of the organization. That means […] The 44-30 loss to the Detroit Lions last week hasn’t mathematically eliminated the Dallas Cowboys from the playoffs, but the chances of sneaking in are extremely slim. With the 2025 NFL season all but over for them, it might be time to start focusing a little more on the future of the organization. That means identifying priorities like maybe extending George Pickens and any other pending free agents who are in their future plans. It’s nearly impossible to know which pending free agents the Cowboys brass plan to prioritize in a few weeks when the 2025 NFL regular-season comes to an end. One player whose future may be murky after the season is running back Javonte Williams, who has been a pleasant surprise for the Cowboys this year and an important part to their offensive success. But, is he part of the organization’s future plans? Given the position he plays and the value of the Cowboys brass has placed on the position recently, it doesn’t bode well that Javonte Williams will be part of the organization beyond the 2025 season. He’s been one of the more productive running backs this year, which might have pushed his market value out of the range the Cowboys are comfortable spending on the position. As of right now, Williams’ projected annual salary on an extension is approximately $6.7 million according to spotrac.com. The Cowboys haven’t spent that kind of money at RB since they used the franchise tag on Tony Pollard and before that the long-term extension they gave Ezekiel Elliott. After those two they went the cheap route with Rico Dowdle in 2024 and Javonte Williams this year. Will they go the cheap route once again in 2026? There’s simply no way of telling right now, but given the recent history it seems more likely than not that’s the direction they may go. That doesn’t mean Williams is unworthy or that it’s an easy decision to make. That’s just the nature of the business and the running back position has been one of the Cowboys have been wary of spending too much money. So, despite already rushing for over 1,000 yards (1,022) and scoring double digit touchdowns (nine rushing, two receiving) and not showing any injury concerns, No. 33 still may be playing his last games in a Cowboys uniform over the next month. It’s going to be really interesting to see what he accomplishes in the remainder of the season, but whatever it is it likely won’t sway any decision that has to be made about his future in Dallas. The Cowboys should already know exactly what they have in Williams and more than likely if he fits in their future plans. In the end, all of this is probably going to come down to money, as per usual, and the other free agent running backs the Cowboys could have their eye on, or even a draft prospect. That makes this situation an interesting storyline to follow as things progress through the rest of the season and into the offseason. See More:

One of the more stellar moments from the 2024 season for the Dallas Cowboys was KaVontae Turpin’s kickoff return on the road against the Washington Commanders. It was the catalyst for an improbable comeback. Thankfully that season is behind us, but these current times are a bit somber as well. Dallas was riding high during […] One of the more stellar moments from the 2024 season for the Dallas Cowboys was KaVontae Turpin’s kickoff return on the road against the Washington Commanders. It was the catalyst for an improbable comeback. Thankfully that season is behind us, but these current times are a bit somber as well. Dallas was riding high during their three-game winning streak before it all came crashing down following Thursday night’s loss to the Detroit Lions. At least it feels that way. The Cowboys still carry mathematical (and somewhat legitimate) hopes for the playoffs, but given that they were 3-5-1 it was always going to be hard to pull off a Turpin-like return, so to speak. On the subject of KaVontae Turpin, it is time to have a conversation regarding his kickoff return abilities specifically. That moment at Washington was a big one and incidentally the first and still only kickoff return that Turpin has ever had that went for a touchdown. It highlighted the notion that he was the best returner in the NFL, there are also punt returns to consider in this overall conversation to be clear, and he was rewarded by the Cowboys in the offseason with a three-year, $18M deal. Again, there is a lot to Turpin’s role on the team. He has been given more on offense which is something to consider in terms of a discussion about everything that he is doing. Right now we are only talking about kickoffs, though. Below is a listing of every Dallas Cowboys possession this season (through the Lions game) that began off of a kickoff. This does not include possessions that started as a result of a punt, turnover, blocked field goal, you get the point. Also, if it isn’t obvious, this list also includes possessions that were ultimately touchbacks. This is not a listing of every return that Turpin has had on a kickoff this season, just so we are clear. Opponent Drive Began (own side unless specified) Eagles 47 Eagles 12 Eagles 31 Eagles 12 Eagles 29 Giants 32 Giants 31 Giants 36 Giants 21 Giants 18 Giants 15 Giants 29 Giants 33 Giants 19 Bears 20 Bears 35 Bears 24 Bears 22 Bears 28 Bears 34 Packers 28 Packers 12 Packers 30 Packers 20 Packers 23 Packers 46 Packers 20 Jets 35 Jets 36 Jets 35 Jets 46 (New York side) Jets 45 (New York side) Panthers 26 Panthers 27 Panthers 23 Panthers 20 Panthers 20 Panthers 30 Commanders 34 Commanders 40 Commanders 28 Commanders 33 Broncos 27 Broncos 34 Broncos 20 Broncos 35 Broncos 35 Broncos 35 Broncos 28 Broncos 35 Cardinals 34 Cardinals 23 Cardinals 26 Cardinals 38 Cardinals 27 Cardinals 27 Raiders 26 Raiders 31 Raiders 32 Raiders 43 Raiders 38 (Las Vegas side) Eagles 28 Eagles 19 Eagles 35 Eagles 40 Chiefs 27 Chiefs 25 Chiefs 16 Chiefs 32 Chiefs 32 Lions 32 Lions 30 Lions 20 Lions 30 Lions 35 Lions 30 Lions 33 Lions 31 There are 78 total possessions here as noted. With all due respect to touchbacks, we are interested in this subject because KaVontae Turpin is supposed to be a difference-maker in this capacity. And this has not been the case this year. The line in which a difference is “made” is subjective admittedly, but I feel like we would all agree that starting across midfield would be pretty significant. The Cowboys have done so only three times this season off of kickoffs. Unfortunately, it was against two of the worst teams they played in the Jets and Raiders. You might say that this is being a bit too intense with calling for a difference, and I don’t think that claim would be outlandish. There is an argument to be made that a “difference” is at least at the 40-yard line. I agree with this logic to be clear, but we should also note that touchbacks nowadays put the ball at a team’s own 35 so we are qualifying a “difference” as to an additional five yards, but let’s just stick with the 40. Of the 78 kickoffs that Dallas has stood and waited on they have turned only eight into a start on at least their own 40-yard line. Some kicks aren’t proper to return and should be taken for touchbacks obviously, but overall these are some pretty disappointing numbers. While we are contextualizing things with the dynamic kickoff reality that we now live in, it is important to note that they have (this was the point) led to a serious increase in returns. Consider that Turpin returned 27 kickoffs in 2024 (the first year of the dynamic kickoff) which was a career high for him. He did this in all 17 games to be clear. Turpin is already sitting on 47 kickoff returns through the first 11 games of the season. On some level it isn’t shocking that he is performing worse (he is down to 25.8 yards/return and led the league at 33.5 last year) given the increase in opportunity, but that calls into question the evaluation of what is “worth” returning for him. The increase in returns should also be considered through the lens of the Cowboys defense surrendering so many scores. More scores for the opposing offense means more kickoffs for their special teams after. At some point the dam breaks. It goes without saying that there are a lot of things the Cowboys need to evaluate over the offseason. This is certainly one of them. See More: Dallas Cowboys Roster

The Dallas Cowboys (6-6-1) need help. Lots of it. This was true before they lost to the Detroit Lions last week, but that result exacerbated the issue. If the Cowboys want to be a playoff team in 2025 then they have to win out and have a lot of things go their way. Sunday’s NFL […] The Dallas Cowboys (6-6-1) need help. Lots of it. This was true before they lost to the Detroit Lions last week, but that result exacerbated the issue. If the Cowboys want to be a playoff team in 2025 then they have to win out and have a lot of things go their way. Join the conversation! Sign up for a user account and get: Fewer ads Create community posts Comment on articles, community posts Rec comments, community posts New, improved notifications system! Sunday’s NFL action did not exactly bring any of these things. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost, which was nice in the sense that they could be a contender for a Wild Card spot, but we are really reaching to use that as a positive data point. No NFC team holding a Wild Card spot before Sunday lost as the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers both won. The Packers took over the top spot in the NFC North by beating the Chicago Bears and as a result the latter now holds the final Wild Card spot. Keep in mind the San Francisco 49ers hold the second one and were one of the teams on bye this week. NFC Playoff Picture entering Week 14 Monday Night Football Los Angeles Rams, NFC West leader (10-3) Green Bay Packers, NFC North leader (9-3-1) Philadelphia Eagles, NFC East leader, (8-4) Tampa Bay Buccaneers, NFC South leader (7-6) Seattle Seahawks, Wild Card (10-3) San Francisco 49ers, Wild Card (9-4) Chicago Bears, Wild Card (9-4) The Eagles play on Monday night so these results are subject to change, but regardless of outcome these are the seven teams who would be in the playoffs if they started today. It is particularly frustrating to see that the Lions are the first team out as that would have been the Cowboys had they found a way to win last week. In The Hunt Detroit Lions (8-5) Carolina Panthers (7-6) Dallas Cowboys (6-6-1) The Panthers were also on bye this week, so when you consider the nine teams ahead of Dallas in NFC hierarchy, only two of them lost (Tampa Bay and Chicago). It was a rough one in that particular sense. Dallas is actually closer in the overall conference standings to the teams that have been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention than they are to one of the Wild Card spots. The Cowboys are 10th in the NFC and the Atlanta Falcons (eliminated) are 12th. This is the lump of coal that nobody asked for. For what it’s worth this entire discussion is all relative to the Cowboys’ position in the NFC’s Wild Card race, but the more probable (not exactly probable in general, just more than the other option) path to the playoffs for the Cowboys is as the NFC East winner. In order for that to happen the formula is rather simple, so to speak, as they have to win out and see Philly lose 3 of their remaining 5 games. Go Chargers. See More: Dallas Cowboys Playoffs

3 recently-extended Cowboys should be released in 2026 – Mark Heaney, Inside The Star Dallas could save money by letting go these three names. 3. Terence Steele: High-Cost Gamble Needs To End After 2025 Season Lastly, we have Terence Steele, the Cowboys’ starting right tackle since essentially the 2020 NFL season. In December 2022, he […] 3 recently-extended Cowboys should be released in 2026 – Mark Heaney, Inside The Star Dallas could save money by letting go these three names. 3. Terence Steele: High-Cost Gamble Needs To End After 2025 Season Lastly, we have Terence Steele, the Cowboys’ starting right tackle since essentially the 2020 NFL season. In December 2022, he tore his ACL and MCL in a major knee injury; not even a year later, Dallas gave him a five-year, $86M extension. It was a huge gamble that banked on Steele returning to form. They tied themselves to him until 2028 without seeing him on the field after the injury. I give him credit for how he has rebounded, and he certainly has seen some decent highs since the new contract, but this year, above all else, has proven to me that they need to sever ties after the 2025 season. Cutting Steele would save money, which Dallas desperately needs to do, and it would also open the door for a younger, higher-ceiling player to take over at right tackle. People tend to forget that Steele is already 28 years old, and he will be 29 before next season. After further review: Cowboys surprise players weren’t so rewarding against the Lions- Dan Rogers, Blogging The Boys Poor timing for Dallas’ good luck to run out. Nate wasn’t that great The Cowboys’ offensive line has been great for most of the season, despite several players missing time. It seems like whoever fills in for them ends up doing an admirable job at holding down the fort. Lately, that sound reserve has been second-year tackle Nate Thomas, who has started at left tackle the last two games while Tyler Guyton recovers from an ankle injury. On Thursday, Thomas wasn’t at his best as the Lions’ edge rushers came at him. The coaches tried to mitigate the issue by giving him help, as Javonte Williams or one of the tight ends would regularly chip the pass rushers, but Thomas still had problems. Defenders maneuvered around him with relative ease, and sometimes the young swing tackle was just lost. He completely forgot to block the edge rusher on a third-down play that resulted in a sack and killed a Cowboys’ drive early in the second quarter. He also got flagged for holding in the third quarter, when Aiden Hutchinson beat him to the inside. It was a constant battle for Thomas, and the more the Cowboys fell behind, the harder it got. Winners, Losers from Week 14: Aubrey stands vs avalanche of negatives – Angel Torres, Cowboys Wire Dallas fans get an open Sunday to consider what went wrong Thursday. Loser: LB Kenneth Murray Kenneth Murray is a physically gifted linebacker whose talents cannot save him from being out of position on a large portion of his snaps. Teams who force him to think and react have a high chance of success, as his indecisiveness on the field has led to chunk plays fatal to their efforts. PFF agrees as his 39.1 overall grade ranks 81st out of 84 qualifying linebackers. Additionally, his 28.4 run stopping grade is dead last in the NFL, yet Dallas keeps trotting him out there for his so-called physicality. Dallas traded a sixth-rounder for the underachieving linebacker along with a seventh-round draft choice, and are paying him $7.4 million. Murray has deservingly gotten his fair share of criticism from team beat writers and content creators (visible in the comments section of the above tweet) but his porous play has overflowed to the point where fans are begging for his removal. The calls have gotten so loud that Brian Schottenheimer had to address a question about his snap count and performance. Former NFL QB offers alternative opinion on George Pickens following Week 14 loss – Randy Gurzi, Sports Illustrated It might not have been as bad as it initially looked on Thursday for George Pickens. On Sunday, however, someone stuck up for Pickens. Former NFL quarterback Alex Smith said Pickens was taken out of the game by Detroit, saying he “got everybody open.” Smith added that there was a lot being made out of nothing, while noting how well everyone else did around Pickens. “But for me, listen, I went back and watched every snap of this and George Pickens. Honestly, I think we’re making a lot out of nothing,” Smith said. “This guy got doubled all game. And when I mean doubled, I mean cloud. A corner hard inside at the line of scrimmage, safety over the top. And you used to see this all the time back in the day. CeeDee Lamb, there’s a reason he got so many targets in that first half. There was no help with him. It was man-on-man with no help for him all day. There’s a reason Ryan Flournoy got all those targets in the second half because, again, George Pickens was taking two. We saw it on the interceptions. Corner sitting hard inside. He’s trying to run slant. How many times have we seen him win on those?” Underrated Cowboys free agent target is already falling into Dallas’ lap – Mike Luciano, The Landry Hat Dallas will certainly need defensive reinforcements this offseason. Cowboys could target Buccaneers CB Jamel Dean in free agency Dean has been one of the better cornerbacks in the NFL all season long, as he has finally seemed to realize how to blend his immense physical talent with the comfort in Todd Bowles’ scheme that has helped take a moribund Buccaneers defense back to respectability. On top of the fact that Dallas is clearly going to be in attack mode as long as Prescott is

The Dallas Cowboys didn’t have what it takes to beat the Detroit Lions on Thursday, ending their three-game winning streak and considerably reducing their playoff chances. The team fell into their usual hole, but unlike their previous two games, they were unable to play themselves out of that mess and put on a late surge […] The Dallas Cowboys didn’t have what it takes to beat the Detroit Lions on Thursday, ending their three-game winning streak and considerably reducing their playoff chances. The team fell into their usual hole, but unlike their previous two games, they were unable to play themselves out of that mess and put on a late surge to escape with the win. There are many reasons why this game didn’t work out for the Cowboys, but one factor was that some of the pleasant surprises we’ve seen recently in games just weren’t there this time. The team has received positive contributions from some unsuspecting characters, but some players we’ve come to depend on weren’t so sharp against the Lions. Here are a few players who had themselves a down game, making things a lot more challenging for the Cowboys on Thursday. Nate wasn’t that great The Cowboys’ offensive line has been great for most of the season, despite several players missing time. It seems like whoever fills in for them ends up doing an admirable job at holding down the fort. Lately, that sound reserve has been second-year tackle Nate Thomas, who has started at left tackle the last two games while Tyler Guyton recovers from an ankle injury. On Thursday, Thomas wasn’t at his best as the Lions’ edge rushers came at him. The coaches tried to mitigate the issue by giving him help, as Javonte Williams or one of the tight ends would regularly chip the pass rushers, but Thomas still had problems. Defenders maneuvered around him with relative ease, and sometimes the young swing tackle was just lost. He completely forgot to block the edge rusher on a third-down play that resulted in a sack and killed a Cowboys’ drive early in the second quarter. He also got flagged for holding in the third quarter, when Aiden Hutchinson beat him to the inside. It was a constant battle for Thomas, and the more the Cowboys fell behind, the harder it got. Growing pains for the rookie While the Lions brought the heat to the Cowboys’ offense, they also exposed the Cowboys’ defense. Rookie corner Shavon Revel Jr. was one of the recipients as they came after him several times. The team’s 2025 third-round pick had his struggles as he failed to drag down Lions’ running back David Montgomery, who scampered off for a big touchdown run. He got flagged for pass interference later in the game, and then fell down on the very next play. Fortunately, Jared Goff’s pass was too far to the outside, and the Lions missed an easy touchdown. And then later in the game, he got caught looking at the quarterback, allowing the Lions’ receiver to sneak past him in the end zone for the touchdown. It’s only the fourth game, and the second start for the Cowboys’ young corner. Up until this game, he’s been surprisingly reliable despite being thrown into the fire, but this game was difficult for him. He’s still adapting to Matt Eberflus’ zone coverage and sometimes reacts a bit late, so don’t be shocked if we see a little more of this before things start to get better. The dark side of Pickens The Cowboys’ offense suffered a tough blow when star receiver CeeDee Lamb left the game with a concussion. But that’s okay, they still had George Pickens, who has absolutely torn it up this season, and kept the passing game intact when Lamb was unavailable earlier in the year. Unfortunately, Pickens wasn’t the savior in this one. He only had five catches for 37 yards, his lowest yardage total since the season opener against the Eagles. Credit the Lions for keying in on him. The Cowboys overused their bread-and-butter slant route to Pickens, and Detroit’s defense eventually made them pay, sniffing it out and closing fast, getting a hand on the ball and causing an interception. The effort and sharpness of Pickens’ routes were questioned by the broadcast team more than once, and there were times when he just didn’t seem to have his head in the game. He made a couple of bonehead penalties by aggressively attacking the defensive backs. Literally. He was called for a facemask penalty and took out a defender on a rub route. Pickens was also careless with the football, getting stripped near the goal line. This is the second time in two weeks that he’s done that. Fortunately for Dallas, there’s been a teammate in the right place at the right time to jump on the ball to avoid a costly turnover. If this game were the only sampling of Pickens we had, it would be cause for concern, as it represented all the bad stuff disgruntled Steelers’ fans have been warning us about. But that’s not the case. He’s been downright sensational throughout most of the season, so an off game doesn’t magically erase all the great stuff. Yeah, we hope to see less of the darker side of Pickens going forward, but we shouldn’t read too much into this one performance. It could have been worse The officiating in this game was brutal. Both teams were committing infractions left and right, and the referees were quick to let the laundry fly. While some calls didn’t go the Cowboys’ way, overall, they came out on the better side of the bad calls. There were several instances when Dallas should have been flagged for something, but the refs missed it. This includes: The defense jumping offsides on a 3rd-and-short that would have given the Lions a new set of downs DeMarvion Overshown tackling Jameson Williams, but coming in a little too hot with the helmet

The Cowboys still have a slim chance of making the playoffs, but will need a lot of help from other teams along the way. With bowl season coming up in college football, this is a good time to look at the biggest needs for Dallas and who the key prospects are in the first round […] The Cowboys still have a slim chance of making the playoffs, but will need a lot of help from other teams along the way. With bowl season coming up in college football, this is a good time to look at the biggest needs for Dallas and who the key prospects are in the first round the Cowboys could take with either of their Day 1 picks. In this edition we look at the linebackers Dallas desperately need. Arvell Reese, Ohio State Arvell Reese is a talented hybrid terror on the Buckeyes defense. He plays off-ball linebacker who can walk up and rush the passer and has length, snap timing and heavy hands. After a quiet freshman year in 2023 where he featured in six games without registering a tackle, he became a real rotational piece in 2024 and made 43 tackles, three tackles for loss, and one sack. In 2025 he’s exploded into a real star. He’s up to 62 total tackles, 10 TFL, seven sacks and two pass breakups with the Buckeyes using him interchangeably at linebacker and edge to wreck fronts all season. Strengths: Elite burst to win first contact, range to chase, and true pass-rush speed for a stack linebacker. Has unbelievable strength to take on offensive linemen breaking into the second level, and his instincts for the position are the best seen on tape in the past few years. Has the second-most sacks among linebackers in this year’s linebacker class. Weaknesses: Coverage skills still need polish – quicker route recognition and fewer grabs at the break. Can lose contain, usually because he’s so overly aggressive on every play. Change-of-direction skills need honing when covering tight ends and running backs on routes. Summary: Reese is a violent, versatile playmaker who splits snaps between true linebacker and edge playing the Joker role. He just won Big Ten Linebacker of the Year and he projects as LB1 and a top-five overall talent on most boards, whose three-down impact translates very clearly in the NFL. (Top-5 prospect) Sonny Styles, Ohio State Styles is a compete menace and backfield eraser. An ex-safety turned three-down linebacker, he’s stacked over 220 total tackles, 20 tackles for loss, nine sacks, nine pass breakups, and one interceptions in the last three years for the Buckeyes. Strengths: He has range and coverage polish for a linebacker. PFF has his tackling grade at 92.2 which is highest in the nation among linebackers and his coverage grade of 89.1 is third-best. The grades show his prowess of getting to the ball carrier in an instant and he leads Ohio State with 68 tackles, with remarkably, zero missed tackles on the year, which is maybe his most impressive stat. Weaknesses: His pass-rush impact lags and when he plays tall inside, long guards can stick to him. Needs to play with lower pads and a quicker shed. Quick footed slot receivers give him headaches, showing a level rigidity to his change-of-direction skills. Has limited experience playing linebacker which affects his instincts. Summary: Styles is the new modern space-backer who ranks high among this class’s linebackers with multiple outlets slotting him top-2 to top-4 at the position. He projects as a high-floor, every-down starter whose coverage skills let NFL defensive coordinators mix coverages without sacrificing run fits. (Top-20 prospect) Anthony Hill Jr, Texas Hill is an absolute havoc at the linebacker position who’s stacked real production year over year. Each year he’s registered over 60 tackles since 2023 and in 2024 he led the SEC with 17 tackles for loss and four forced fumbles. He also added 113 tackles in 2024, with 17 sacks and three interceptions in his career. Strengths: Burst and range with elite pass-rush skills for an off-ball linebacker. Plus versatility to play MIKE and WILL or mug and blitz. Insanely good instincts for the position, routinely in the perfect position to make a play on the ball carrier. Weaknesses: Has a level of inconsistency, mostly due to overrunning the play due to his high level athleticism. Can struggle to disengage from blockers and allows linemen to control him to easily. Summary: An elite three-down playmaker whose box score matches the traits. He projects as an immediate-impact starter who can fit the run, carry zones, and hunt on third down. (Top-30 prospect) C.J. Allen, Georgia Allen is a solid MIKE linebacker and tempo-setter for Georgia, and has the year-to-year progressive stats to show it. In 2023, Allen registered 41 tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack and two pass breakups. That was improved on in 2024 with 76 tackles, three tackles for loss, one interception and four pass breakups. Then that was improved on again with 80 tackles, eight tackles for loss, four sacks, two forced fumbles, three pass breakups, and includes five tackles made in the SEC Championship game. Strengths: Unbelievable range and has grown-man finishing on every play. His PFF grade has him at 91.0 in run stopping, third-highest among this year’s class which matches the tape and the enforcer role he plays snap to snap. Tackling and tackling technique is his best trait. Absolutely lays the boom in the tackle and it’s hard to find a tackle on tape where he falls backwards to allow the ball carrier extra yards. Weaknesses: Man coverage is the growth lane and pad level can rise inside. When long guards get into his chest, the shed needs to arrive faster. Needs more pass rush moves, the tool box is fairly empty in that department. Summary: Allen is an extremely productive three-down organizer whose production and traits have him tracking near the top of the linebacker class. He’s projecting as an immediate NFL