Commander Country

NFL Top 100: Where's Commanders DE Jonathan Allen?

Allen makes the Top 100 list for the first time in his career.

Jeremy Brener

Washington Commanders defensive end Jonathan Allen turned in a career year last season and his peers are noticing.

In NFL Network's Top 100 Players of 2022, Allen ranked No. 88 in the league, voted by his peers.

A year ago, Allen signed a four-year, $72 million extension which begins this season.

Now a six-year pro, Allen is the longest-tenured member of the Washington defense and is seen as a primary leader for the unit.

Allen landed on the Top 100 list this year because he took a major step in the right direction last season.

The former first-round pick from Alabama recorded 62 tackles and a career-high nine sacks last season.

His peers aren't the only ones that feel Allen is one of the best players in the NFL.

Given Allen's success, he was listed as the 10th-best defensive tackle in the league based on a survey curated by ESPN, which polled 50 league executives, coaches, scouts and players.

Allen makes his first appearance in the top 10 after edging out Leonard Williams and many others due to his consistency. He has always been a high-level tackle, but a career-high 9.0 sacks earned him his first Pro Bowl last season. The Commanders needed more pass-rushing with Chase Young out, and they got it from Allen.

"He played really well last year, and he also gives them a big leadership component," an NFC exec said. "He does everything the way you want, from the way he plays the position to the way he leads."

Allen had a 12.1% pass rush win rate last year from the interior (eighth in the NFL), and he recorded 34 pressures overall.

Allen's hope is that a stronger 2022 campaign will lead to a higher spot on next year's list.

Published
Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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