Breece Hall and Braelon Allen have already pictured themselves making big plays together in the New York Jets’ backfield. They’ve also come up with a simple but catchy nickname.
“We were joking around calling ourselves ‘The Killer B’s’ the other day,” Hall said with a big smile on Tuesday. Opposing defenses won’t be laughing if things go as the Jets hope.
Hall is the Jets’ main running back and had a strong second NFL season with 994 rushing yards, five touchdowns, and 76 catches for 591 yards and four touchdowns. He recently guaranteed that he will definitely run for over 1,000 yards this season.
Allen, the Jets’ fourth-round pick from Wisconsin in April, stands out not just for wearing the big, white “0” on his jersey. While Hall is known for his speed and agility, the 6-foot-1, 235-pound Allen is known for his powerful running.
“Braelon’s just like his own beast,” Hall said about his teammate, comparing him to Derrick Henry. “He’s really big, he’s athletic, he can run.”
Together, they could give quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the Jets’ offense a strong duo in the backfield with their different playmaking skills.
“When I came in (to Wisconsin) as a freshman, I was a little bigger — around 235 or 238 pounds — but I didn’t necessarily see myself as a bruiser,” Allen said.
“I was more slippery than people expected from me. As I grow and reach this level, the expectation is for me to be that powerful runner and impose my will on people.”
Allen, who had 3,494 rushing yards and 35 touchdowns in three seasons with the Badgers, seems to be the top choice to be Hall’s primary backup, especially with his different style of running.
But he’s not the only rookie expected to make an impact on the Jets’ running game.
Isaiah Davis, a fifth-round pick from South Dakota State, has also been impressive in training camp. He might compete with Israel Abanikanda, a fifth-round pick from last year, for the role of the third running back.
The Jets also have Xazavian Valladay, who went undrafted from Arizona State last year and has spent time with Houston, Pittsburgh, and the Jets, on their roster.
“It’s been cool to see how different we all are,” Hall said. “But also we’re all trying to reach the same goal. We challenge each other, push each other during individual drills.
We try to see who has the best rep, who does things the fastest, who runs the best route, just little things like that.”
“And for them to actually be talking to me a lot and asking me questions about what I see and what I would do in certain situations — it’s been cool.”
Hall finds it odd that he’s considered the veteran in the running back group, especially since Tarik Cohen announced his retirement last week. Hall is 23, while Valladay is 25, Davis is 22, Abanikanda is 21, and Allen is 20.
“What’s crazy is Braelon is young, but Isaiah is about the same age as me, and most of the running backs are around my age,” Hall said. “Coach (Tony) Dews is like, ‘Breece, everybody looks up to you.’ But I’m like, ‘Half of them are older than me or my same age,’ so it’s kind of funny.”
