We are now just 80 or so days from the 2026 NFL Draft! Draft season is fully upon us, and the Bucs’ positional needs are well-defined at the moment. Free agency is sure to address some of those needs, but Tampa Bay will need to use draft resources to improve their roster as well.

I have been focusing on the defensive side of the ball in my early preparation, specifically on the linebacker position. The Bucs’ current linebacker room is very thin and did not perform particularly well last year.

Here is a quick recap of the linebacker profiles I have completed to this point:

Draft: Sonny Styles, Owen Heinecke, Kyle Louis, Arvell Reese, Kaleb Elarms-Orr, Jacob Rodriguez, Justin Jefferson

Free Agents: Nakobe Dean, Devin Bush

Styles and Reese are two of three linebackers currently getting first-round hype. The third is CJ Allen out of the University of Georgia.

CJ Allen Background

CJ Allen was a multi-sport athlete in high school, competing in track and field (shot put, 40‑meter, 100‑meter) and playing significant minutes on the basketball team. That multi‑sport background shows up clearly on tape — he carries himself like a naturally explosive mover with rare lower‑body twitch and the type of coordinated, full‑body flexibility that typically comes from years of varied athletic development.

Allen was also a true two‑way player, taking snaps at running back, quarterback, and linebacker. His offensive production was staggering considering he was playing both ways. He recorded over 3,000 rushing yards at nearly 10 yards per carry and 50 touchdowns on offense. Defensively, he posted 349 tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss, 6.0 sacks, and 4 interceptions. That combination of offensive vision and defensive production is a strong indicator of early instincts and natural playmaking ability.

A four‑star recruit in the 2023 class, Allen was ranked 48th nationally, fourth in the state of Georgia, and fourth among all linebackers. His recruiting profile matched the tape – explosive, instinctive, and physically advanced for his age.

Georgia ILB CJ Allen – Photo by: IMAGN Images – Allen Poizner

College Career

CJ Allen committed to Georgia and saw the field immediately, earning rotational snaps as a true freshman before starting the final five games of the season. His early playing time in a notoriously demanding defense speaks volumes about his mental readiness and physical maturity.

He became a full‑time starter in 2024, recording his first interception and totaling 76 tackles. As a true junior in 2025, Allen took another step forward, finishing with 88 tackles, eight tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and four passes defended. His year‑over‑year growth reflects a player who not only has elite physical tools but also the processing ability to handle the complexity of Georgia’s front‑seven responsibilities.

Across three seasons, Allen established himself as one of the most explosive and instinctive linebackers in the SEC – a conference that routinely produces NFL‑ready defenders.

As for his production percentile metrics, here they are.

Scouting Report

Games watched: 2025 Auburn, 2025 Ole Miss (Sugar Bowl), 2025 Florida

Athleticism

Height: 6-1
Weight: 235

CJ Allen is an explosive, twitchy athlete with rare acceleration for the position. His ability to generate force from a stationary position is one of his defining traits. He winds up quickly, loads his hips efficiently, and accelerates with a suddenness that immediately stresses blocking angles. That burst pairs with impressive joint flexibility, allowing him to bend, dip, and slip around climbing linemen with ease.

His long speed is outstanding, clocking over 19 mph on GPS tracking. He can run the pole, carry seams, and chase down perimeter plays with true sideline‑to‑sideline range. His compact frame is dense and powerful, giving him the ability to deliver real stopping power when he arrives at the ball.

Allen is also exceptionally light on his feet. He rarely looks stuck in the mud, and his ability to stay clean through traffic is aided by his balance, foot quickness, and ability to subtly adjust his path without losing speed. His athletic profile is tailor‑made for modern NFL defenses that prioritize range, versatility, and space movement.

Run Fitting

Allen is a highly effective run defender both downhill and laterally. His combination of athleticism and eye discipline allows him to beat blockers to spots, slip underneath climbing linemen, and stay square to the ball carrier. He doesn’t always stack and shed traditionally, but he consistently finds ways to stay clean. Now if a lineman can get a grip, there are reps where you will see him struggle to detach, but those instances are few and far between.

Georgia LB CJ Allen with the mugged-up drop, change-of-direction (twice) and PBU. pic.twitter.com/OhUOBcKwBi

— Josh Queipo (@JoshQueipo_NFL) February 1, 2026

Allen’s hip flexibility is a major asset, allowing him to redirect quickly on zone concepts and react to cutbacks without losing balance. The Bulldogs star rarely over‑commits, and his ability to throttle down and re‑accelerate gives him an advantage against patient runners.

Allen’s closing speed is exceptional. Once he triggers, he builds speed rapidly and rarely gears down. His length and tackling technique are both strong. He wraps well, runs his feet, and consistently finishes. His missed tackle rates have never reached double digits in any season, and his 2025 rate ranked in the 87th percentile nationally.

Allen is a reliable, high‑range run defender with the athletic tools to erase space and the instincts to stay ahead of blocking schemes.

🎵Nowhere to run to, baby🎵
🎵Nowhere to hide🎵 pic.twitter.com/XUnaelE4A1

— Josh Queipo (@JoshQueipo_NFL) February 2, 2026

Coverage

Allen’s change‑of‑direction ability allows him to match athletic running backs with multiple breaks on option routes.

Georgia LB CJ Allen with the mugged-up drop, change-of-direction (twice) and PBU. pic.twitter.com/OhUOBcKwBi

— Josh Queipo (@JoshQueipo_NFL) February 1, 2026

Allen mirrors well in space, stays patient at the top of routes, and uses his eyes to anticipate combinations. His ability to sift through traffic — picks, meshes, and layered releases — is a major strength, and he rarely looks lost in pattern‑match situations.

Allen can be a tick late flipping his hips vertically on seam routes, but this appears to be more of a recognition issue than a physical limitation. When he identifies the route early, he has no problem carrying it.

His closing burst is elite, and his pursuit angles are strong. Once the ball is thrown, he erases yards after catch opportunities with speed and violence. He also shows flashes of using his hands to re‑route, though this is not yet a consistent habit.

Overall, Allen projects as a high‑end coverage linebacker with the athleticism to match backs and the instincts to thrive in zone‑match structures.

Pass Rush

Allen is one of the best blitzing linebackers in the class. His timing is outstanding — he disguises his intentions well, accelerates instantly, and hits creases with real conviction. He is comfortable rushing from mugged‑up alignments, off the edge, or from depth, and his versatility makes him a legitimate pressure generator.

The timing! pic.twitter.com/etOrx3h5zh

— Josh Queipo (@JoshQueipo_NFL) February 1, 2026

The fact that he’s light-footed can work against him when he meets a running back who can anchor and absorb contact, but his ability to slip blocks, change angles, and maintain speed through contact still makes him a consistent problem for protection schemes. He creates chaos, forces hurried throws and has the athletic profile to be a true weapon in simulated pressures and creeper packages.

Best Traits

• Eyes
• Acceleration
• Joint flexibility
• Pass rushing

How Does He Fit The Bucs’ System

CJ Allen is an ideal fit for Todd Bowles’ mugged‑up, attacking defense. He has the size and downhill pop to play Mike, the range and coverage ability to play Will, and the communication skills to handle green‑dot responsibilities.

His blitzing ability is tailor‑made for Bowles’ pressure packages because Allen can execute from a multitude of angles and positions, and his athleticism allows him to function as a chase‑and‑tackle defender in space. While he was not used much on the line in Georgia, Allen’s few reps there are of such high quality I have no doubt he would excel in a heavy on-the-ball role.

Georgia LB CJ Allen – Photo by: IMAGN Images – Joshua L Jones

He brings versatility, explosiveness, and instincts to a defense that demands more from the position than most. And his athleticism make him ideal for mug-and-drop responsibilities.

I absolutely love Allen’s game and potential. He’s currently the second-highest graded linebacker and third-highest graded player overall on my personal big board. I’d be comfortable taking him in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft and have a tier-2 grade on him (future Pro Bowler).

Hear CJ Allen Speak

Part of NFL Draft evaluations are about more than the tape. Teams want to understand the person as much as the player — how he thinks, how he processes the game, and how he integrates into a locker room. While we don’t have access to the full depth of team interviews, I found a media availability from this past year leading into Georgia’s game against Florida.

I come away from this interaction (and others) not gaining much insight. CJ Allen’s answers were largely surface level and often had him repeating the question in the form of an answer to give very little true detail or insight. I’d venture that he sticks to the likely media training he has received to produce mostly non-controversial non-answers.