Patriots Draft Profile: This Prospect Perfect Fit For Desired Role

The New England Patriots are in the market for some running back depth, and seem to have a specific type of player in mind.

ESPN’s Mike Reiss didn’t quite report anything Sunday, but he did share a well-informed opinion that the team would most likely target a “passing back” in the upcoming draft.

Reiss already said it: such a role has long been a staple in offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels’ offense throughout the years and was held by the likes of Kevin Faulk, Shane Vereen, Danny Woodhead, James White and Brandon Bolden. New England should want to find the next guy, and while some might have their eyes on others, we believe this player should be the next on that list.

LeQuint Allen has the tools necessary to become an integral piece at One Patriot Place.

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OVERVIEW

Allen was a do-it-all running back during his time at Syracuse.

The Orange relied on him to play the majority of offensive snaps, and increased his playing time every year he was in the program — leading to a total of 3,207 yards and 32 touchdowns across three seasons. It’s what he was able to do in his final season that puts him on our radar, however, as he became one of the better receiving backs (64 catches, 521 yards, four touchdowns) in the country in 2024.

Kyle McCord fell in love with his new security blanket, and likely would have thrown the ball his way even more in a different system that allowed for more checkdowns — like McDaniels’.

NFL SCOUTING COMBINE

Allen didn’t do all of the tests at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine, but that doesn’t even matter — just look at the measurements.

Height: 6-foot
Weight: 204lbs
Hand: 10 1/8″
Arm: 32″

Vertical Jump: 35″
Broad Jump: 10′

STRENGTHS

Allen has massive hands, but you could have already guessed that if you watched him because he catches almost everything.

Syracuse’s offense was so weird, and the result of their downfield passing obsession almost forced our subject into being their only weapon in the red zone — but that’s okay because he thrived in that role.

New England would primarily lean on him to be that “passing back” like we mentioned, so let’s focus on his strengths in that realm. Allen not only has great hands, but his lateral quickness both in and out of his routes is exceptional. It’s a smooth operation at all times, with his decisiveness being a huge plus in a role in which he’d be tasked with running option routes against zone defenses.

Can he hold his own in pass pro? Yup!

We love this prospect, folks.

WEAKNESSES

Allen is never going to be a bellcow back. The Patriots don’t need one, which makes him a fit, but if they ever lost Rhamondre Stevenson or Antonio Gibson it would become a problem because he runs too upright to make a difference between the tackles and lacks size and/or burst to make up for it.

IS THIS YOUR FAVORITE PROSPECT IN THE DRAFT?

Yes, thank you for asking!

Allen is so rare, because he feels like a prospect that fits exactly what one team is looking for at a time in which they need it. We could pick someone like Travis Hunter, Abdul Carter or Tyler Warren, but while they’re all better prospects, we have a vision for this guy that made us fall in love. What makes him so special? We found this one stat that paints the picture pretty perfectly.

Allen had more reps in pass protection than any draft-eligible running back in the country in 2024, and he let up just one pressure.

You can’t find a better “high-floor” statistic than that.

The Patriots want a third-down running back and they’ll have one staring them in the face during the middle rounds. We… you know what? I, Keagan Stiefel, hope they pull the trigger.

If you’d like more individual profiles, check out the full series and follow @KeaganStiefel on X.