The San Diego Chargers have selected California wide receiver Keenan Allen with the 76th overall pick (3rd round) of the 2013 NFL Draft. Checking in at 6'2″ and 206 pounds, Allen shined as a wide receiver at Cal. In addition to 17 receiving touchdowns in three years, Allen tacked on two rushing scores and one punt return score.
After catching almost 100 passes in 2011 (as a sophomore), Allen was held back in 2012 because of injuries. He did, however, still manage to tie a career high 6 touchdowns on 61 receptions. Allen is a strong, tall, and fast receiver that slipped down draft boards due to concerns over his knee.
The Chargers are already deep at wide receiver, with Danario Alexander, Malcom Floyd, Vincent Brown, and Eddie Royal. Allen will have to battle in camp for playing time, but he could see a decent amount of snaps if he wins the WR3 job in San Diego – three Charger receivers had over 400 snaps last season.
Year | School | Rec. | Yards | Avg. | TD | K Ret Yds | P Ret Yds | Ret TD |
2010 | CAL | 46 | 490 | 10.7 | 5 | 8 | 406 | 0 |
2011 | CAL | 98 | 1343 | 13.7 | 6 | 32 | 0 | 0 |
2012 | CAL | 61 | 737 | 12.1 | 6 | 212 | 0 | 1 |
Totals | 205 | 2570 | 12.5 | 17 | 252 | 406 | 1 |
College statistics courtesy of Sports Reference.
Fantasy Impact
Awaiting Allen in Southern California is a solid quarterback and no immediate pressure. However, he doesn't figure to have much fantasy impact this season due to the aforementioned depth the Chargers already have at receiver. The two projected starters for San Diego – Alexander and Floyd – have a history of injuries, so Allen could end up being forced onto the field. Barring injuries, though, Allen will likely be on the bench for most of this season.
Even though he might not get many snaps in 2013, Allen is valuable in dynasty leagues. With time, he will be expected to step into a starting role in San Diego. If he does manage to win a starting position this season, or is forced into one due to injury, he will have plenty of opportunity. He's worth a look in later rounds in redraft leagues this year due to his potential for playing time.