Rookie OLB Christopher Allen Singled Out as Broncos' UDFA to Watch by Football Outsiders
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Undrafted free agents are often a long shot to make an NFL roster. However, for the Denver Broncos, it hasn't been unusual to see such players not only make the roster but become major contributors.
Chris Harris, Jr., C.J. Anderson, Shaquil Barrett, Phillip Lindsay, and Alexander Johnson are among the UDFAs in recent seasons who not only made the team's 53-man roster out of training camp, but also emerged into major contributors at one point or another. Four of those five players have gone on to earn Pro Bowl accolades, though Barrett's came in Tampa Bay.
So it's no surprise that Broncos fans will keep an eye on this year's crop of undrafted players and wonder who might make the final roster and make an impact.
Football Outsiders' Mike Tanier has one name for Broncos fans to consider: edge rusher Christopher Allen. Tanier, in the FO series Four Downs, cited Allen as the Broncos' most notable undrafted free agent and, possibly, somebody who can help the Broncos' pass rush.
Christopher Allen recorded six sacks and 13 tackles for a loss for Alabama in 2020, but he missed nearly all of last year with a foot injury and all of 2018 with a knee injury. The health concerns are obvious, but Allen can both rush the passer and play in space, and he opened the 2021 season as a starter for the Crimson Tide. Getting a linebacker from the Alabama pipeline for merely a phone call and a $30,000 signing bonus is never a bad thing.
That may have been Allen's signing bonus but reports indicate the Broncos gave him $180,000 in guarantees. He does have the ability to rush the passer and play in space, as Tanier notes — and that could be a good thing for the Broncos.
CBS Sports' draft profile for Allen projects him to be a role player, or depth, and notes that he has "limited sack potential because he was too reliant on average strength and leverage." However, the same profile goes on to say that Allen has a muscular build and the "versatility to play hand in the dirt or stand up and cloud coverage."
Allen's college teammate at Alabama, Patrick Surtain II, would concur.
"He's very dynamic, he's a great rusher—you can also drop him in pass sets, too," Surtain said last week. "So he's a great, dynamic player that brings tremendous talent to the defensive side of the ball."
First thing's first, though: Allen has to get healthy.
“We’re going to play that by ear," Hackett said on May 14. "We’re going to see how he comes along. He’s a very talented athlete, a really good person. For us, it’s about getting him healthy and getting him right first, then as we move forward we’ll be able to see where he fits. He has a lot of stuff that he has to offer this team, and we just have to get him out there so we can evaluate it.”
It's possible Allen could spend his first season on the practice squad, but his versatility could give him a shot at being a backup edge rusher for 2022. And given the issues the Broncos have had with edge rushers missing time with injuries, having depth is a good thing.
We'll see what Allen can bring to the table as the offseason progresses and when training camp gets underway later this summer.
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