Broncos Linebacker Unimpressed with PFF's Evaluation of Zach Allen
Broncos Linebacker Unimpressed with PFF's Evaluation of Zach Allen originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Denver Broncos defensive lineman Zach Allen has aged like fine wine in his time as a player in the NFL. Allen's 2024 campaign was his best as a professional, as he recorded career highs in sacks (8.5), tackles (61), tackles for loss (15), and quarterback hits (40).
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Despite appearing on journalists' ballots for the Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year Award and earning Second-Team All-Pro honors last year, Allen did not get named to the AFC's Pro Bowl roster, which would have been his first time earning such a distinction.
It appears that has not been the only time in the past few months that Allen has been snubbed – at least, in the eyes of teammate Nik Bonitto, who had choice words for Pro Football Focus' Trevor Sikkema's recent list of the top 32 interior defensive linemen in the NFL ahead of the 2025 season.
Allen, when compared to players at his position playing 500 snaps or more, appeared near the top in a number of PFF's performance metrics, including sacks (first), total pressures (second), and tackles (ninth). This did not translate into Sikkema's rankings, however, as Allen was listed as the league's No. 20 interior defensive lineman, two spots behind Broncos teammate John Franklin-Myers.
Denver Broncos defensive end Zach Allen (99) reacts after a play against the Cincinnati Bengals in the second half at Paycor Stadium.Katie Stratman-Imagn Images
"Allen was an iron man last season, playing 1,031 snaps in just 17 games. The Eagles' Jalen Carter was the only defensive tackle who logged more, but he had three extra games to do so," Sikkema wrote. "Allen's 64.9 PFF overall grade was low, but his 73.6 PFF pass-rush grade and 81 quarterback pressures speak for themselves. He was also quite versatile, logging 287 snaps at defensive tackle, 262 at right defensive end, and 451 at left defensive end (ends in Denver's front are more interior players due to the 3-4 alignment)."
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Bonitto responded to the rankings in the form of a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, which included six laughing-crying emojis and two words: "not serious."
Allen is entering his seventh year in the NFL, two of which he spent with the Broncos (2023-2024) and four of which he spent with the Arizona Cardinals (2019-2022). The Cardinals selected Allen with a third-round (No. 65) overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, and he has since accumulated 25 sacks and 259 tackles in the professional ranks.
Related: Broncos Rookie Running Back Receives Praise from Bo Nix
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 4, 2025, where it first appeared.
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