Former Georgia star linebacker CJ Allen is the latest Dawg to forego his remaining college football eligibility to turn pro. He is joining Christen Miller and Zachariah Branch, among others, as Georgia players who are ready to see what the NFL has in store for them. Although Branch and Miller have outside shots at going in the first round, Allen is the only lock from last year's team to likely do so.
Allen was the anchor and the heart of this year's Georgia defense. It was not the most talented unit Kirby Smart or Glenn Schumann ever worked with, but the team did come together in the end to play some fine football together. Unfortunately, injuries and attrition got the best of Georgia's defense in the Sugar Bowl vs. Ole Miss. Allen's Georgia career ended in New Orleans like many players of late...
So what we are going to do is take a good, hard look at a handful of teams that could be in play to take Allen in the second half of the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Although he was a phenomenal player in college, he does not play a premium position at the next level. Still, Allen's talent is off the charts! Whatever team that selects him shall be getting a fierce and emotional leader from day one.
Let's start with a team that loves itself some linebackers, but really needs to get better on defense.
5. Dallas Cowboys
In Brian Schottenheimer's first year leading the Dallas Cowboys, it was all about the offense for America's Team, and not a lick of defense. While this was arguably the second-best team in a weak NFC East, Dallas was never really a serious playoff contender because of its defense. In a way, Allen could be the perfect type of player coming in, one who will wear the green dot and will direct traffic.
Of course, Dallas is going to have to trade down to be in a better spot to draft Allen. Although the draft process could have him emerge as a top-16 pick at the end of the day, Allen is far more likely to come off the board in the 20s. He may end up going to a playoff team in the spring, but Dallas may need him more so than others. Regardless, the combination of fit and value needs to align here first.
Allen would look good in a Cowboys uniform, but his draft stock has to rise to merit going to them.
4. Carolina Panthers
At this stage of the game, the Carolina Panthers are the worst team that made the playoffs by winning the utterly putrid NFC South. Admittedly, this is a huge step in the right direction for this franchise. Carolina had not been to the postseason since 2017. Dave Canales appears to be an excellent up-and-coming head coach. Unfortunately for him, general manager Dan Morgan needs more talent.
Carolina is probably going one-and-done in the NFC playoffs with the Los Angeles Rams coming to town. Although they made a smart decision to take Tetairoa McMillan out of Arizona inside of the top 10 last spring, maybe they could have used Jalon Walker on defense? Allen and Walker may share the same alma mater, but are different players. Carolina is at its best when it has a star in the front-seven.
If Allen were to fall to Carolina, it is so hard to see the Panthers passing on him in the very late teens.
3. New England Patriots
For whatever reason, there is a chance that Allen may slip down some draft boards. We saw the same things happen to Jalon Walker last year. While drafting players out of Georgia on defense is usually the right call, could you imagine if Allen went to the resurging Evil Empire that is the New England Patriots? This is a team that should win multiple playoff games, possibly winning the Super Bowl...
The reason to be bullish on the potential New England fit for Allen is who the Patriots head coach is. Mike Vrabel is a former star linebacker himself. He may be all brawn, but he also has a ton of brains, too. New England is still an ascending team, but the Patriots need to get high-end players who can produce right away. Allen would slot into this defense like hand in glove. The rich will get richer here...
Love it or hate it, New England is easily one of the better landing spots for Allen in the 2026 NFL Draft.
2. Los Angeles Chargers
Who has it better than the Los Angeles Chargers? While it remains to be seen if Justin Herbert will ever do a damn thing in the AFC playoffs, Allen checks the box of the type of defensive players Jim Harbaugh loves to have on his teams. He plays with an aggressive physicality to that of Stanford, San Francisco 49ers, and Michigan players from yesteryear. If Allen is available, he likely goes to the Bolts.
When Harbaugh was thriving at Michigan, there were few teams as good as the Wolverines were, but one of which was Georgia. Players that Harbaugh recruited or played against will more likely than not find a home on Los Angeles' second NFL team. It may come down to who is picking higher between the Chargers and the Denver Broncos when it comes to landing Allen's services. He feels AFC West.
The one big hold-up here might be that Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter is likely leaving.
1. Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos were the one team that seemed to keep popping up when it came to finding a way-too-early fit for Allen in the 2026 NFL Draft. Even though Sean Payton is an offensive-minded head coach, he does love to run the football and have a complementary defense backing him up. Linebackers are a position that were immensely valuable to him when he was with New Orleans, too.
Of course, other AFC teams like Los Angeles and New England could be in on him as well. Allen is probably coming off the board no higher than No. 18 right now, but will not make into the second day of the draft. This guy feels like a bona-fide lock to be a first-round pick. If Denver were to get him, this could help the Broncos contend for Super Bowls for as long as Bo Nix is still playing on a rookie deal.
Right now, Denver feels like a team that will take the biggest advantage of Allen sliding down a bit.