The Denver Broncos made plenty of splashy free agent signings last offseason, which included defensive end Zach Allen. The signing reunited him with Vance Joseph, who had been his defensive coordinator for the duration of his entire NFL career. Allen, who was once mentored by JJ Watt, has been an excellent addition to the Denver Broncos’ defensive front this season. With Denver’s playoff hopes still very alive, his play will have a huge impact on the outcome of this season.
A Football Career That Almost Wasn’t
Zach Allen grew up in New Canaan, CT, and attended New Canaan High School. Originally playing offensive line, he switched to outside linebacker after considering leaving the sport altogether. He excelled both academically as a four-year high honor roll student and athletically as a three-year starting player. Allen left an indelible mark by setting the school’s sack record and helping lead the Rams to two state titles.
Allen was named the 2014 Connecticut Gatorade Player of the Year, which recognizes the nation’s most outstanding high school student-athletes. Though Allen initially committed to Northwestern University, he decommitted and chose to attend Boston College instead.
As a freshman, Allen played in all 12 games of the regular season, primarily as a member of the special teams unit. He saw the field more the following year, this time on the defense. Allen finished the season with 36 tackles (19 solo), six sacks, four passes defensed, and two fumble recoveries.
Allen became a permanent starting defensive end in Year 3 starting in all 13 games. He showcased his outstanding performance with 100 tackles (47 solo), six sacks, four passes defensed, and one interception. His exceptional skills earned him the esteemed 79th annual George “Bulger” Lowe Award, an honor bestowed upon New England’s finest offensive and defensive NCAA football players.
Though there was speculation that Allen would declare for the 2018 NFL Draft, he later announced that he would return to school for his senior year.
Allen finished his senior year strong with 61 total tackles (35 solo), hit career-highs of 6.5 sacks and eight passes defensed, two forced fumbles, including one fumble recovery, two blocked kicks, and one interception. He also won the 2019 Eagle of the Year award, Boston College’s highest athletics honor.
The Vance Joseph Era
Zach Allen was selected by the Arizona Cardinals with the 65th overall pick in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Following training camp, the Cardinals named Allen as a starting defensive end to start the season.
The beginning of his NFL career started quietly. A neck injury limited his appearance to just four games in his rookie year, resulting in only eight combined tackles.
Allen recorded his first NFL sack in Week 1 the following season. He faced a setback again, missing three games due to injury. Nonetheless, his performance notably improved, registering 35 tackles (20 solo), two sacks, and three passes defensed.
The momentum continued to build over the next two seasons as Allen found his footing as a starter. In 2021, Allen appeared in a career-high 15 games (14 starts), producing career highs with 48 tackles (30 solo), one interception, three fumble recoveries (including one he took back for a touchdown), four sacks, and four passes defensed.
In his final year in Arizona, Allen was tied among all NFL defensive ends for the most passes defensed with 8. He also produced a career-high 5.5 sacks with 47 tackles (23 solo).
On March 15, 2023, Allen signed a three-year, $45.75 million contract with the Denver Broncos. He took over for Dre’mont Jones, who had recently departed for the Seattle Seahawks.
At the onset of the season, both Allen and the Broncos’ defense faced challenges through the first five weeks. However, as Denver’s performance turned around, so did Allen’s individual play. Demonstrating his consistent year-over-year improvement, Allen is poised to achieve several new career highs. With three games remaining, he has already amassed 49 combined tackles (24 solo), five sacks, and forced a fumble. Comparatively, Jones has recorded 36 combined tackles (21 solo) and 3.5 sacks.
Despite New England’s struggling offense ranking in the bottom five, their defense stands strong at eighth best. In a must-win game for Denver, the unit must play shutdown defense to ensure the margin of error is as small as possible. Turnovers have been instrumental in many of their victories, an element sorely missed in last weekend’s loss. Allen shoulders a significant responsibility in this must-win match as the Broncos continue their fight for a postseason berth.