Denver Broncos 3 biggest undrafted rookie steals in 2022
Denver Broncos top 2022 UDFA steal no. 1: Christopher Allen, EDGE, Alabama
Given how difficult it is for teams to find good pass rush help these days, it’s rather shocking that a player like Christopher Allen went undrafted.
Although injuries certainly can play a role in pushing a guy out of the NFL Draft, Allen has a lot going for him.
- Played at Alabama
- Led the SEC in TFL in 2020
- Elite athleticism
- Productive pass rusher
Christopher Allen is a LB prospect in the 2022 draft class. He scored a 9.05 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 230 out of 2419 LB from 1987 to 2022. https://t.co/ALkfaaXnDU #RAS https://t.co/BgLrBL9hu2 pic.twitter.com/5rDrRBGlV5
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) May 2, 2022
Allen, even recovering from injury, was still able to post impressive numbers during offseason workouts and certainly showed that he’s stayed in shape despite missing almost all of the 2021 season.
Looking at the Denver Broncos’ group of pass rushers right now, it’s difficult to see a clear path for Allen to the active roster, but then you consider something else: Money talks.
Allen got $180,000 guaranteed from the Denver Broncos, which is more than the following players:
- 6th-round pick Matt Henningsen
- 7th-round pick Faion Hicks
- Free agent LB Alex Singleton
It was only $20,000 less than players like DeShawn Williams and Andrew Beck received in guaranteed money to return to the Broncos this offseason.
If you look at the money in terms of what draft picks receive in guaranteed money, the Broncos valued Allen somewhere around a 5th-6th-round pick.
That’s not nothing.
I think over the course of training camp and preseason, Allen has a real shot to prove his worth and push some prominent guys potentially off this active roster or prove to the Denver Broncos he’s worth keeping over other guys at different positions.