Commanders DT Jonathan Allen Gives Washington 'Big Leadership Component'

Allen is coming off his first Pro Bowl appearance.

Jeremy Brener | Jul 16, 2022

Washington Commanders defensive tackle Jonathan Allen is coming off the best season of his career last season.

A year ago, Allen signed a four-year, $72 million extension which begins this season.

Now a six-year pro, Allen is the longest-tenured member of the Washington defense and is seen as a primary leader for the unit.

Given Allen's success, he was listed as the 10th-best defensive tackle in the league based on a survey curated by ESPN, which polled 50 league executives, coaches, scouts and players.

Allen makes his first appearance in the top 10 after edging out Leonard Williams and many others due to his consistency. He has always been a high-level tackle, but a career-high 9.0 sacks earned him his first Pro Bowl last season. The Commanders needed more pass-rushing with Chase Young out, and they got it from Allen.

"He played really well last year, and he also gives them a big leadership component," an NFC exec said. "He does everything the way you want, from the way he plays the position to the way he leads."

Allen had a 12.1% pass rush win rate last year from the interior (eighth in the NFL), and he recorded 34 pressures overall.

Those who ranked ahead of Allen were Aaron Donald (Los Angeles Rams), Jeffery Simmons (Tennessee Titans), Chris Jones (Kansas City Chiefs), DeForest Buckner (Indianapolis Colts), Cameron Heyward (Pittsburgh Steelers), Kenny Clark (Green Bay Packers), Vita Vea (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Arik Armstead (San Francisco 49ers) and Grady Jarrett (Atlanta Falcons).

If Allen continues along his upward trajectory and showcases that "big leadership component," he could find himself higher on this list a year from now.

Published Jul 16, 2022

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.