Commanders land physically gifted running back Kaytron Allen from Penn State in the sixth round, eager to prove his doubters wrong and make an immediate NFL impact.
The Penn State Nittany Lions had a quiet draft early this weekend.
Quarterback Drew Allar was a surprise in Day 2, going to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round. That pick made sense, given the Steelers’ need at quarterback amid questions about Aaron Rodgers.
Offensive lineman Vega Ioane went in the first round to the Baltimore Ravens, but it really took until Day 3 for things to get cooking for PSU.
The Washington Commanders took running back Kaytron Allen early in the sixth round with the No. 187 pick. Allen rushed for 1,303 yards and 15 touchdowns in his final season with Penn State in 2025.
Scouting Report
Lance Zierlein of NFL Media thought Allen could be a fifth-round pick. He's more of a physical runner that can be a change of pace in the backfield.
"Allen is productive with good size and vision but below-average explosiveness," Zierlein wrote. "He’s a fluid runner with ideal patience and a natural feel for when to cut off his blocks. He runs low to the ground with the strength to run through arm tackles and fall forward after contact.
"A feel for lane development allows him to fit any run scheme, but his lack of burst is likely to constrict the field and limit his ability to find explosive runs. Allen appears to lack third-down and special-teams value, but he could earn a spot as a solid backup."
What Kaytron Allen brings to the Washington Commanders
Allen was a phenomenal talent during his time at Penn State. Allen became the program's all-time leading rusher in 2025 with 4,180 yards during his time with the program.
Allen told reporters at PSU's pro day that he felt like he didn't get enough respect during his college career.
“I don't think people really respect what I've done here,” Allen said, via The Daily Collegian. “I always made progress and stuff like that since I've been here, progress after progress.
"But no, I'm different, and you get me, I'm a difference maker to the team I'm ready to play right now.”
Allen will get an opportunity to show Washington what he has. The Commanders have a robust running game and a threat with quarterback Jayden Daniels.
The Commanders will have someone to bring the thunder with Allen.