Oakland Raiders: Scouting newly-signed linebacker Dakota Allen

The Oakland Raiders have signed linebacker Dakota Allen off of the Los Angeles Rams practice squad. Here is a brief scouting report of the former “Last Chance U” star.

The Oakland Raiders are dealing with a number of injuries at the linebacker position at the moment. And as such, the team signed former “Last Chance U” star Dakota Allen to help alleviate their issues.

Starting linebackers Vontaze Burfict and Nicholas Morrow both went down during Sunday’s 34-14 loss to the Minnesota Vikings leaving the Raiders very thin at linebacker. That was made even worse when reserve linebacker Marquel Lee also exited with an ankle injury.

And on Tuesday, the team make the decision to place Lee on the injured reserve, potentially ending his season. The hope is that Burfict and Morrow will be able to play this week, but that remains uncertain.

Not to mention the fact that backup linebacker and special teams ace Kyle Wilber is dealing with a quad injury at the moment. Each of the three have been limited in practice this week.

With Lee’s open roster spot, the Raiders signed Allen off of the Los Angeles Rams practice squad to give the team some more depth at linebacker.

Allen is perhaps best known for his time on the second season of the hit Netflix documentary “Last Chance U.” In fact, Allen would make history this past April becoming the first alumnus of the show to be drafted when the Rams selected him with the 251st pick in the seventh round.

The 23-year-old excelled during his freshman season at Texas Tech and looked the part of a future star in the Big 12. That was until he was charged with second-degree burglary prompting his dismissal from the program.

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It was then that he enrolled at East Mississippi Community College for a season before transferring back to Texas Tech for his final two collegiate seasons after the charges were eventually dropped.

Allen would once again become a stand-out defender earning second-team All-Big 12 honors n 2017 and first-team Al-Big 12 honors the following season. On top of that, he would be named a team captain in both of his final two seasons with the Red Raiders.

Allen has clearly come a long way in not only his football career but his lifelong journey. But what does he offer the Raiders?

At 6-foot-1, 235 pounds, Allen is a bit on the small size for the linebacker position and he, unfortunately, doesn’t have the speed and athleticism to make up for it.

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That said, he proved to be a very effective blitzer during his time at Texas Tech, particularly when shooting the A-gap. That quality could make him a great fit in Paul Gueenther’s system which deploys a lot of A-gap pressure from blitzing linebackers.

Allen has solid intangibles and is a sure-tackler, but his overall run defense skills need some work. His size prohibits him from shedding blocks regularly and he just doesn’t have the agility to evade blockers.

What he lacks in size and athleticism, however, he more than makes up for in competitive spirt and work ethic. Allen is a willing tackler who never shies away from contact. He is the definition of a high-motor player and his energy proved to be infectious at Texas Tech.

Given his skill set, Allen most likely will never be a starting linebacker in the NFL. His physical limitations combined with his poor coverage skills make him a depth linebacker at best.

That said, it’s easy to envision a scenario in which Allen develops into an excellent special teamer at some point down the line. He excelled in that role at Texas Tech and impressed the Rams in the preseason with his special teams performance.

Expect the Oakland Raiders to deploy him in a similar fashion this week and in the future.

Allen has an enthralling background and his story makes him an easy player to root for. Here’s to hoping that he finds success playing in the silver and black.