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Colts Work Out Colorado State-Pueblo Pass Rusher Darius Allen

By Luke Schultheis

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According to Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun, the Indianapolis Colts recently brought in Colorado State-Pueblo hybrid linebacker and pass rusher Darius Allen (no relation to the Colts tight end, Dwayne):

The 6’3″, 239 pound Allen has finished with 29.5 sacks over the past two seasons and was a defensive force for the ThunderWolves. As testament, Allen was awarded the 2014 Cliff Harris Award, which is given annually to the top defensive player in the country representing Division II, III, and NAIA colleges and universities. To cap-off his standout collegiate career, his 2014 ThunderWolves team won the NCAA Division II Championship.

Dec 20, 2014; Kansas City, MO, USA; Colorado State Pueblo Thunderwolves defensive end Darius Allen (3) celebrates after sacking Minnesota State Mankato Mavericks quarterback Ricky Lloyd (8) (not pictured) during the second half at Sporting Park. Colorado State won 13-0. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

While Allen didn’t participate in this year’s NFL Combine, he did post some solid measurables at his recent pro day, including a 4.73 forty-yard dash, 31.5 inch vertical jump, and 19 bench press reps. He could be selected in the later rounds of this year’s NFL Draft, as a situational pass rusher off the edge for a 3-4 defense.

Similarly to how the Colts saw success with last year’s 5th round pick in Jonathan Newsome out of unheralded Ball State University, Allen could prove to be a potential diamond in the rough coming out of even a smaller football program himself.

The Colts are clearly performing their due diligence and leaving no stone unturned, as it comes to potential impact pass rushers even from Division II and III football programs.

According to NFL.com, as a pass rushing prospect, Allen is, “an undersized, situational pass rusher with good quickness off the snap and some potential as a next-­level pass rusher. Allen lacks NFL-­caliber physicality and toughness for the position, but his ability to threaten the edge should get him into a camp.”

At the NFL Combine, Colts General Manager Ryan Grigson has already let his thoughts be known when it comes to discovering impact pass rushers. Like most NFL general managers, he holds the position at a premium, as no defense can ever have enough:

"“I was always brought up if you have 12 pass rushers, give me 13,” said Grigson. “You know, you can never have enough pass rushers and that’s ‘Scouting 101′. The hard part is actually finding them, and then findings ones that you know, the handful of them that are clean and really good. Clean in, I mean they don’t have any off-the-field, any warts, they’re hard to come by. “You sometimes have to gamble later or maybe take a junior that has limited production and that’s where true scouting comes into play,” added Grigson. “…But you know if there’s a pass rusher that gets your blood pumping, you know in the draft…you have to consider him, no matter where your needs are.”"

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