Way-too-early predictions: Zach Allen will make the Pro Bowl this season
The Denver Broncos roster is widely considered less-than-average. While there are some big names and bright lights on the team, the sour taste left in the national media's mouths after last season is warranted. One of the groups that the national media seems to agree upon being lower-tiered in the NFL is that of the […]
The Denver Broncos roster is widely considered less-than-average.
While there are some big names and bright lights on the team, the sour taste left in the national media's mouths after last season is warranted.
One of the groups that the national media seems to agree upon being lower-tiered in the NFL is that of the defensive line group for the Broncos.
In fact, when ranking all defensive line groups across the NFL, Pro Football Focus had the Denver Broncos almost dead last, ranking 28th in the league.
The expensive signing of interior defender Zach Allen and the late addition of edge defender Frank Clark suggest that the Broncos were not satisfied with what they had on the defensive line, but it is questionable whether these two moves will significantly improve the unit.
Allen earned a 72.7 grade in what was a solid season in 2022, but that represented a career-high mark and the first time he's surpassed 60.0. And even though Clark made big plays in the playoffs in recent years, his three highest-graded seasons came between 2016 and 2018.
However, despite Pro Football Focus putting them toward the bottom of their list, our under-the-radar addition was actually part of this group.
Zach Allen was brought in, on a huge contract, to help turn things around for the unit. Last season, Allen was a Pro Bowl snub who was putting up excellent numbers for the Arizona Cardinals. The defensive end, in only 13 games, had 47 total tackles and 5.5 sacks. In each of his seasons, Allen has improved in almost every category and we think he'll continue that trend while in Denver.
The offseason is all about taking risks and calling your shots. With Allen's addition and the team bringing in other help to bolster the defensive unit, we are expecting big things out of Allen.
Not only is Allen going to be a Pro-Bowler, but he's going to finish his season with double-digit sacks and wind up being one of the biggest and best offseason additions for any team across the league.
Buckle up, Broncos faithful, this season is going to be fun.
Broncos: Zach Allen lands on NFL’s All-Underrated Team
The Denver Broncos front office are doing everything they can to turn things around. At least on paper, it seems like they’re going to do just that.
Featured image Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
