Indianapolis Colts select CJ Allen in 2nd round of 2026 NFL Draft

Former Georgia linebacker CJ Allen has been selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft. The veteran Bulldogs defender is considered among the top pure middle linebackers in this year’s class, as evident by his selection.

The 6-foot-1, 230-pound Allen was among three finalists for the Butkus Award and Lott IMPACT Trophy after leading Georgia with 88 total tackles, including 47 solo, to go along with eight tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, four pass breakups, and two forced fumbles in 2025. Allen finished his Bulldogs career with 205 total tackles, including 117 solo, 13.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, 11 pass breakups, and one interception.

Allen captained the Georgia defense the past two years, and proved to be natural a leader on and off the field, including serving on the SEC’s Student-Athlete Leadership Council and Football Leadership Council.

Allen signed with Georgia as a four-star prospect in the 2023 recruiting cycle out of Lamar County (Barnesville, Ga.), where he was ranked as the No. 4 player in Georgia, the No. 6 linebacker in the class, and the No. 76 player overall, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, a weighted composite of all three major recruiting media services.

What NFL Draft analysts are saying about CJ Allen

NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein compared Allen to new Green Bay Packers linebacker Zaire Franklin, who led the NFL in tackles and earned a Pro Bowl selection in 2024. Zierlein was especially complimentary of Allen’s propensity to mirror running backs with proper leverage in coverage while also utilizing “technique and body control (to) provide rare tackle-finishing success.”

Allen also does well to disguise and time up his blitz take-off through the A- and B-gaps, according to Zierlein. As far as critiques, Zierlein pointed out Allen struggles in man coverage and exhibits “hip tightness” that limits his stride length and speed in pursuit.

“(Allen is a) ‘green dot’ linebacker and team captain more capable of rowing the boat than making big splashes. Allen plays with toughness and control, sorting through run fits with patience and leverage in pursuit,” Zierlein wrote of Allen. “He has average trigger quickness and pursuit speed, which forces him to work harder to get to junction points when facing climbing blockers. He has adequate size and strength with good hand strikes to play off blocks. He doesn’t blow up blocks or disrupt on the other side of the line all that often, though. He’s an effective blitzer with average man-cover talent and is capable on all three downs. Allen is a dependable starting Mike ‘backer who raises the floor of a defense.”