It remains to be seen whether or not wide receiver Devon Allen finds a spot on the Philadelphia Eagles roster, but he is definitely one of the most fascinating players in the league this preseason.
And he showed why on Sunday afternoon.
Allen displayed the speed that made him an Olympic sprinter when he hauled in a 55-yard touchdown pass from Reid Sinnett late in the third quarter, giving the Eagles a 21-20 lead over the Cleveland Browns. He just effortlessly blows by everybody on the Cleveland defense and then makes a really nice diving catch in the end zone.
Devon Allen is as fast as advertised pic.twitter.com/WjIKVQTeGw
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) August 21, 2022
Here it is from a higher angle showing the entire play and this full route.
Pure speed.@DevonAllen13 @Eagles pic.twitter.com/edoiesTfgN
— NFL (@NFL) August 21, 2022
Good luck overthrowing that guy.
Allen, 27, has not played football since he suited up for the Oregon Ducks in 2016. He spent three years in the Oregon program catching just 54 passes in three years.
After spending years as a track star and Olympic sprinter, he participated in Oregon's Pro Day this spring and ran a 4.35 40-yard dash. That resulted in a tryout deal with the Eagles that has him now doing things like that on an NFL field.
Allen specialized in the 110-meter hurdles and twice ran for Team USA at the Olympics (2016 in Rio and 2021 in Tokyo) and finished in fourth and fifth place.
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