'He Has Everything You Want': Commanders DE Jonathan Allen Praises Teammate

The team captain and leader on the defense had high praise for his second-year teammate and commented on what he expects from the former first-round pick.

ASHBURN, Va. -- Expectations can create stressful environments, and in the last 13 months, the Washington Commanders have experienced the energizing highs and the debilitating lows of what others think they should or shouldn't be able to accomplish.

But stress impacts each individual differently. For Washington defensive lineman Jonathan Allen, he doesn't pay attention to the conversations about how much talent his unit has, and how many first-round picks are playing on the defense these days. 

"We're not worried about the pedigree," Allen said following the first practice of training camp on Wednesday. "We're not worried about the potential. That's what people say about a group who hasn't done too much...We're going to go out there and play to the best of our God-given ability."

While Allen isn't getting hung up on things like draft capital and potential, the media and fans will continue to look at a group with more than half the starting defense consisting of first-round picks as one that should be able to rank in the top half of the NFL. 

One of the players with the sharpest focus on his development this year is second-year linebacker Jamin Davis. 

The 2021 first-round pick didn't live up to the billing in his rookie season. Something he's acknowledged and vowed to learn from as he looks to improve in year two. 

For Allen, the differences between a rookie season and the next are huge and could serve as a springboard for Davis' development this season. 

"Rookie year is tough," Allen said of Davis' experiences. "You come in, you're being thrown into a new city, new teammates, new organization...asked to pick something up quickly...go out there and immediately make an impact. And I think that's a lot. Obviously, I don't think he had the year that he wanted to have, but all you can do is bust your balls and work every single day to improve as a player. And he's done that. So I just want him to give me everything he got."

Allen expanded by saying he knows Davis has all the athletic traits needed to succeed, saying, "He flashes all the time. He runs the 4.3, 4.3 - 40-inch vert. I mean, he has everything you want."

Davis may have everything the Commanders wanted in a prospect, but they need him to come out and play like an NFL linebacker more this year than he did in the last. 

For that to happen, his football I.Q. has to connect with his athletic abilities. 

In short, it's not enough to be capable of making the plays, he has to make them. 

With training camp underway, class is in session, with at least one leader on the defense pulling no punches with clear expectations of what needs to happen in 2022.