PFF cites Rams group among the Top 5 of NFC and here's why they got it right

Rams add blocking behemoth to block at tight end

While I remain uncertain as to the ultimate use of newly signed tight end Colby Parkinson in the offense, even I cannot deny his dimensions and power bring an untapped potential to decimate defenders as a blocker in 2024. This guy stands 6-foot-7 and weighs 265 pounds, a size that allows him to look defensive linemen and outside linebackers in the eye as he runs at them to thwart their ability to make a play.

Is Parkinson a sure-fire plug-and-play NFL star? Probably not. In the history of the Rams offense under HC Sean McVay, the only time the tight end position was featured as the main playmaker was December 2019, when starting tight end Tyler Higbee caught 43 of 56 passes for 522 yards and two touchdowns. It was a dramatic shift of offensive philosophy, brough about by the need to augment the offensive line with two tight ends, forcing the team to feature Higbee as the primary target.

And Higbee responded quite admirably.

Since that epic performance, the team has migrated away from emphasizing the tight end role. Even when Higbee was target frequently in 2022, his ability to catch passes plummeted, resulting in the worse catch rate since 2017. So it's safe to presume that even when and if the team starts Parkinson, don't look for him to be targeted 10+ times in a game.

But he is not the only secret weapon at tight end. Let's revisit tight end Davis Allen.

Rookie tight end Davis Allen was projected as high as an early Day 3 selection in the 2023 NFL Draft. But like many Day 3 draft surprises for this team, he was simply a guy who earned his draft projection by maximizing his talents, and not by simply outclassing opponents with elite track-star athleticism. And it's that blue collar work ethic and passion for the game that may make him a break out star in this offense in 2024.

We can smother Allen in praises over the fact that he failed to catch just one pass thrown his way in 2023, but I prefer to applaud his fearless ability and willingness to block instead. To play the position for the Rams, a tight end has to block, and Davis Allen showcased his ability to do exactly that as a rookie.

Allen is another skyscraper, standing 6-foot-6 and weighing 251 pounds. At that size, he is more than a match for all but the biggest and strongest defensive linemen. Clearly the team though enough of Parkinson to sign him to a lucrative three-year contract. But don't discount Davis Allen, who delivered every time the offense needed him to show up and step up last season.