Colts selected Georgia LB CJ Allen with the No. 53 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

25 April 2026

Considered a potential first-round talent, 21-year-old Allen (6'1/230) instead tumbled to the middle of Round 2. Allen was a linchpin of Georgia’s front seven in his second year as a full-time defensive centerpiece. He finished with 93 total tackles and an 89.4 percent tackle efficiency rate while generating 12 havoc plays, 7.0 TFLs, and 3.5 sacks while adding eight run stops, showing three-down disruption rather than merely cleanup volume. His pass-rush profile was legitimately impactful from the ILB spot, recording 13 pressures on 80 rushes (16.3 percent pressure rate) with three sacks created and 12 first-pressure wins, underscoring how DC Glenn Schumann weaponized him as a delayed second-level rusher. PFF reflected that versatility with a 76.0 overall grade, 88.6 run-defense, 84.1 tackling, and 68.0 pass-rush, while his lone blemish remained coverage (55.6) as backs and tight ends were able to create space in underneath matchups. Even with that minor coverage dip, Allen was rugged between the hashes, highly efficient as a finisher, and a tone-setter with an NFL-ready skillset that should translate into immediate high leverage snaps.