Broncos DE Zach Allen Poised to Break Out & Silence Offseason Disrespect

Watch out for Zach Allen in 2024. He's on a mission.

Oct 1, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Denver Broncos defensive end Zach Allen (99) takes the field before the game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. / Mike Dinovo-USA TODAY Sports

When the Denver Broncos signed defensive end Zach Allen to continue his career under Vance Joseph, they had high hopes for the still-young player. The Broncos felt the best was yet to come for the then 25-year-old defensive lineman after his first four seasons with the Arizona Cardinals.

Despite a rough start to the season, Allen ended up having a great 2023 season, yet many in and around the NFL still disrespected him. Look for him to make them look foolish in this upcoming season. 

Allen will turn 27 in the middle of August and is coming off the best season of his career by far. After a rough start in 2023, he turned things around, and over the final 13 weeks, he ranked in the top 10 in multiple advanced analytics.

Yet, entering Allen's sixth NFL season, many offseason rankings of interior defensive linemen didn’t even include him in the top 20. When you look at some of the names on these lists and then their production, one thing is clear: there was a lot of weight put into earlier careers for players in their final stretch. 

What happens next on the Broncos beat? Don't miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second, sign up for our free newsletter, and get breaking Broncos news delivered to your inbox daily!

In his first four seasons, Allen showed steady improvement, adding two sacks to his total each season, starting with zero as a rookie and ending with six in his last season in Arizona. The improvement continued in his first season with the  Broncos, where he picked up seven sacks. His total pressures started at five as a rookie, before climbing to 18, 26, and 35 in his final season in Arizona, and a massive jump to 60 with the Broncos. 

Every stat, regular and advanced, took a massive jump in his first year with Denver, where Allen played a career-high 913 snaps, nearly 300 more than his previous season. The higher snap count helps lead to improved stats, but that's where rates, efficiency, and percentages all come in. Even with a higher snap count, Allen still has improvements with those advanced analytics that factor in snap counts. 

So, why isn’t Allen getting the respect he should be? Well, he had 13 games of elite play, while others ahead of him in these rankings have significantly more than that, even if they are on the downside of their career. For Allen to get that respect, he must come out to start the season and play at the level we saw to close out the 2023 campaign.

It all starts in camp, and the reports about Allen have been promising. So far, in practice, he's been almost unblockable and getting consistent pressure or making big plays. It's always a significant first step to see it happen in practice, but of course, it has to be carried over to the preseason games and then the regular season. 

Why is it such a good sign? Allen didn’t have the best start to his career in Denver, with some issues in practice, followed by struggling in preseason action.

Even the first four games of the regular season were concerning for Allen. Then it all clicked, and he finished as one of the NFL's best defensive linemen in 2023. 

Allen will earn respect, but he needs to step up even more and keep it consistent throughout the season. The Broncos' defensive line improvements around him should only be a boost. 

---

Follow Mile High Huddle on X and Facebook and subscribe on YouTube for daily Broncos live-stream podcasts!