The Eagles have selected safety Nate Allen with the 37th overall pick, the fifth pick in the second round, of the NFL draft. Allen is a safety out of South Florida who will join a young secondary. Bloghead will have more details as they come, but until then, here's Tony Pauline's scouting report on the young ballhawk.
| S Nate Allen, South Florida | |||||
| Pos. Rank: 4 | Grade: 2nd-3rd Round | Height: 6-0 1/2 | Weight: 207 | 40: 4.50 | Year: 4-Sr. |
The Good: Athletic safety with nice size and skill. Displays a good head on his shoulders, effective in zone coverage and does a solid job recognizing, then anticipating, the action. Displays good movement skills to sideline, works well with cornerbacks, and shows a terrific burst of speed. Physical, aggressive, and explosive at the point. Solid open-field tackler. Better-than-average instincts and displays a nice feel for coverage.
The Bad: Marginal burst to the ball out of his plant. Needs to improve his overall ball skills.
The Verdict: Allen rebounded as a senior and really took his game to another level. He possesses the size/speed numbers as well as range NFL teams want in a centerfielder and is a prospect who should just get better over the course of time.
-- Posted by Bo Wulf, 6:32 p.m., April 23
