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The Arizona Cardinals' 2019 NFL Draft class is full of offensive players expected to change scoreboards in the desert. Kyler Murray, Andy Isabella, Hakeem Butler, and KeeSean Johnson created a class inspired by Kliff Kingsbury's offense. In the preseason, all of them will be worth watching meticulously, but a defensive player stands out, in my mind, as one worth watching more: Boston College's Zach Allen.
With Robert Nkemdiche's release, Allen has an opportunity to start for the Cardinals as a 3-4 defensive end. Though a tweener for the position, at 6-foot-4 and 281 pounds with 34 3/4-inch arms, his game is well equipped to thrive in Arizona.
Pro Football Focus graded Zach Allen as its 40th-best prospect, earning a 90.9 grade. Included in that grade is a 90.3 pass-rush grade and 87.7 run-defense grade. He totaled 122 run stops in his college career and averaged an outside pressure on every 13.4 snaps. He also tallied 33 QB hits, 65 hurries, and 17 blocked passes for his career, per PFF.
Allen's measurables and subpar performance at the NFL Combine didn't help his draft stock. He fell to the third round. Yet, his film certainly helped him: If he was rushing from the edge, interior, or in between, he made a difference for Boston College.
Let's look at one play to justify that claim. As seen below, he rushed from the inside, where he rarely played in college but will play in the NFL.
https://twitter.com/averydduncan/status/1125151131208966144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1125151131208966144&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fraisingzona.com%2F2019%2F05%2F05%2Farizona-cardinals-rookie-film-room-5-plays-that-define-zach-allen%2F
Allen is rushing from his less familiar 3-technique position in the play. He's slated to either eat a block for edge pressure or get to the quarterback himself. He did both.
Allen explodes out of his first step to stun the right guard and push him outside to gain favorable inside leverage. Allen can then use his muscle to push off and clear a path to the ball. With a duo block on the other side of the interior, the guard is in a one-on-one situation and can't help the struggling right tackle with the edge rush.
If Allen is blitzing off the edge, however, he can still get work done. Watch the play below.
https://twitter.com/averydduncan/status/1125150166028304384?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1125150166028304384&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fraisingzona.com%2F2019%2F05%2F05%2Farizona-cardinals-rookie-film-room-5-plays-that-define-zach-allen%2F
Here Allen is rushing from the 5-technique or edge — not quite a far-reaching edge like a 9-technique. Allen isn't a particularly big, powerful, bendy, or fast pass rusher, but he can win these matchups with length, heavy hands, and an explosive first step alone; he does just that.
Notice Allen's first step: It comes before the tackle can slide back; he instantly takes advantage of that by attacking outside leverage and winning with a powerful chest plant. His momentum forces the tackle to morph into a turnstile. Allen holds all the leverage to bully him around the edge.
While Allen is a smart pass rusher with heavy hands, length, and explosiveness, his best work comes against the run, where all three traits translate seamlessly. Though a tweener, his game and brain are shaped for the NFL. I don't expect him to be a league-leading pass rusher, because a lack of speed, size, and overall athleticism hurts. However, he should be able to plug gaps and make plays in the backfield consistently. His upside can be as high as Kansas City Chiefs defensive lineman Chris Jones.
