Devon Allen has no concerns over how his speed will hold up against any other NFL player.
The Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver and two-time Olympic track star had the utmost confidence when asked on Monday if he's the fastest player in the league.
"I definitely am [the fastest]," Allen told TMZ Sports.
Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill has been considered by many as being the NFL's fastest player upon his inception into the league in 2016. The seven-time Pro Bowler has also competed in track, most recently winning a 60-meter race at the USA Track and Field Masters Indoor Championships in March.
Hill's teammate, Jaylen Waddle, is also considered one of the NFL's top speedsters, and so too is Seahawks WR DK Metcalf, who posted an impressive 10.37-second time at the 100-meter dash at the 2021 USATF Golden Games and wowed everyone with his on-field speed when tracking down Budda Baker on an interception return in 2020.
Both Hill and Metcalf were mentioned before Allen made his declaration, but he didn't want to shade the two, explaining further that there are levels to running track.
"I'm not gonna roast those guys because what they did was impressive," Allen said. "I raced Tyreek Hill when I was in high school. We raced and he smoked me when we were in high school and DK Metcalf ran a 10.3 a couple years ago is super impressive for a guy that's 6'4", 6'3", 225. But I think especially at the top level, top 5, top 10 in the world, there's a big gap in terms of just performance."
Allen recently competed in the USATF New York City Grand Prix in June, placing second with a time of 13.04 seconds in the 110-meter hurdles. That time put Allen tied for the fourth-fastest in the world thus far in 2023, and qualified him for the USATF Outdoor Championships, which is scheduled for July 6-9 at the University of Oregon, where the 28-year-old played college football. Should he qualify for the U.S. team with a top-three placement there, Allen would then be slated to race at the World Athletics Championships, where he was disqualified for a false start in the 110-meter hurdles final in 2022.
Allen's foray into the NFL has required patience since making Philadelphia's practice squad in 2022. He's yet to make his official NFL debut, but has flashed potential during the 2022 preseason. The Eagles indicated their belief in Allen by signing him to a reserve contract in 2023.
With Hill and Metcalf annually partaking in conversations about racing each other every offseason, Allen's belief may propel him into that chatter one day.
