Aside from the offensive line, the Los Angeles Rams also needed to address their tight end depth in the offseason.
Outside of Tyler Higbee, the Rams didn’t have another reliable tight end behind him who could handle the different responsibilities for Sean McVay. With that in mind, Los Angeles took Davis Allen No. 175 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Allen is a strong run blocker and a big-bodied receiver who looks like he could be a threat in the red zone. The rookie acknowledged he has plenty to work on but sounded sure that he could make an impact when called upon, via Stu Jackson of TheRams.com:
“Not afraid to put my hand in the dirt and block whoever I’m asked to block,” Allen said after being selected in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft by Los Angeles. “I’m confident enough to go up and catch the ball whenever it’s thrown in my direction. I think there’s a lot of room for improvement for me, I think there always will be, but I do think I can do a little bit of both.”
Prior to the 2022 campaign, Los Angeles was one of the best teams in terms of winning percentage and their pedigree wasn’t lost on Allen who said he had been keeping tabs on the team:
“I’ve always watched the Rams, and I’ve always viewed the Rams as a team that always had a chance to win the whole thing,” Allen said. “I feel like there’s some teams that it might be a rebuild season, or something along those lines, but I always felt like the Rams had the talent to run the table. I’m super thankful to be a part of this organization.”
With Higbee entering the final year of his contract, Allen makes for a worthwhile investment as he has the skillset to be an impact player for the Rams. Young tight ends typically take a couple of years to properly develop, so while he might not see the field right away, he’d still be able to learn behind Higbee and the other veterans.
During his time at Clemson, Allen compiled 88 receptions, 971 yards and 12 touchdowns. He has great hands and is able to use his nearly 6’6″ frame to win over defenders in coverage, a great attribute to have. He also has experience playing on special teams and that’s likely where the McVay and the coaching staff will have him play the majority of his time.
