Jonathan Allen

Allen doesn't stand out in one particular area, but he's been a consistent presence along the Washington defensive line since 2017. His durability and ability as both a pass rusher and run defender are nearly unmatched compared to other interior defensive lineman. The result has been at least 60 tackles and five sacks in five of his last six seasons. Projecting forward, Allen is entering the final year of his second contract in the NFL and his age-30 campaign, and there are some signs of him potentially slowing down. His 53 total tackles in 2023 were the lowest of a full season in his career, and he also has posted his worst career missed tackle rate in each of the last two seasons. There's some risk in drafting Allen as a result, but he'll remain a stalwart of the Commanders' defensive unit even if his per game production continues to dip.

A 2017 first-round pick, Allen has started 15-to-17 games and recorded 61-to-68 tackles in five straight seasons since he missed 11 games his rookie year. He had one down year with only two sacks but otherwise has landed in the range of six-to-nine, and should find his way there again in 2023.

While the Washington defense was one of the league’s biggest disappointments in 2021, that had nothing to do with Allen. He’s one of the league’s best pass-rushing defensive tackles, reliably pushing for a sack or more per 100 snaps. Not just that, but he has 60-plus tackles in each of the past four years. As much as Allen is not a serious candidate to provide elite value, he should be a passable DL1 or strong DL2.

Allen might not have the upside of other mid-range IDP options, but in terms of production he clearly lands in the DL1 conversation. His 63 tackles and two sacks on 809 snaps last year was one of his lowest possible outcomes, so the pass-rushing production in particular is a good bet to swing upward in 2021. Indeed, if you took Allen's per-snap production from 2018 through 2019 and applied it to last year's snap count you'd get north of 70 tackles and just short of the double-digit sacks. The Washington front four is ferocious, and Allen is a big reason why.

There's some amount of uncertainty about how Washington will use Allen as they shift from a 3-4 to a 4-3 under Ron Rivera, but there's little or no question that Allen is among the best defensive linemen in the league. Now 25 in his fourth NFL season, Allen's last two years hint at an imminent All-Pro breakout season. He totaled 129 tackles and 14 sacks in those 1,447 snaps, which would project to about 67 tackles and 7.5 sacks over 750 snaps. The downside with Allen is it's difficult to see him playing many more snaps than that - fellow tackles Matthew Ioannidis and Daron Payne are too good to leave on the bench much, and Washington's defensive end rotation is three-deep with standout starters, too.

The Washington pass rush is going places and Allen is a big reason why, as the former Alabama star is closing in on All-Pro distinction following a sophomore season in which he produced 61 tackles and eight sacks on 777 snaps. With a little luck, Allen's snap count could be closer to 850 this year, and in that event he'd be a great bet to hit double-digit sacks. With a strong supporting cast around him, Allen will have the benefit of disrupted pockets even if he sees double-teams, so the context couldn't be much better.

Selected 17th overall in last year's draft, Allen managed just 10 tackles and one sack in five games before a foot injury ended his rookie season. He returned healthy for the offseason program and figures to have a starting job, but his role as a 3-4 end doesn't seem too conducive to piling up sacks or tackles. Washington's linebackers dominated the IDP production last year.

Allen is the Redskins' first defensive first-round selection since Ryan Kerrigan was picked in 2011, as the team looks to transform a defense that ranked fifth in total yards allowed last season. Once touted as a top-five overall pick, Allen possesses the ability to play at various spots on the line. At 291 pounds, he certainly will fill Washington's need of a run-stopper but also has proven to be a disruptive rusher when needed. The Alabama product should pay dividends for Washington in 2017 as he is pegged to be an immediate starter.