Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Bryan Manning

Jonathan Allen has posted a dominant pressure rate over the last 3 seasons

Washington Commanders defensive tackle Jonathan Allen is one of the NFL’s best defensive players. Allen’s success isn’t a surprise, but he hasn’t always received the recognition he deserves.

That’s slowly changing with a pair of Pro Bowl berths after Allen signed a four-year extension in 2021. After Daron Payne’s breakout season in 2022, Washington’s defensive tackle duo is no longer about potential. Allen and Payne should be considered the NFL’s best interior duo in 2023.

Last season, Allen and Payne combined for 34 tackles for loss. Payne tied Dave Butz’s franchise record for single-season sacks by an interior defensive lineman with 11.5.

While sacks are an outstanding metric to measure pass-rush success, it’s not everything. Allen recorded 7.5 sacks last season and has never reached double digits in his six-year NFL career. Yet, Allen remains one of the league’s most-feared interior defenders.

According to Next Gen Stats, Allen is second in the NFL — behind only Javon Hargrave — in pressure rate from the defensive tackle position over the last three seasons. Hargrave [13%] is ahead of Allen [12.3%], with Aaron Donald ranking No. 3 [12.2%].

While Donald faces double teams and more on every play, Allen is also double-teamed consistently.

With Payne and Allen locked in long-term, perhaps the Commanders can get more from defensive ends Montez Sweat and Chase Young in 2023, freeing up the duo to wreak even more havoc.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.