The Denver Broncos have to get better along the interior defensive line. Could Jonathan Allen provide a short-term boost? With the Washington Commanders since the 2017 NFL Season, Jonathan Allen is now a free agent and is free to sign wth any team.
And most of us do know that the Denver Broncos need to get better at defensive tackle this coming season, so perhaps a fit between Allen and the Broncos can happen?
Should the Broncos sign Jonathan Allen?
The eight-year veteran was their first-round pick back in the 2017 NFL Draft and has played in 109 regular season games for the team. He he's racked up 42 sacks, 60 tackles for loss, and 118 QB hits across his career.
He has mostly played in a base 4-3 defense, but I would assume someone of his caliber would have no issue adjusting to being a 3-4 defensive tackle. In a 4-3 base defense, there are two defensive ends and two defensive tackles.
A base 3-4 defense has two defensive ends and one defensive tackle. Anyway, the Denver Broncos did have one of the best defenses in the NFL in 2024, but the unit was missing a couple of pieces. As the season went on, it became clear that Denver was a little soft in the middle of their defense and at one of their safety spots in the secondary.
PJ Locke III seems to be a fine backup player, but does not appear to be an every-week starter in the NFL. Many have said that the Broncos will be upgrading at safety this offseason. Another position close to DT where Denver may also upgrade in a bit way is at inside linebacker. The starting duo to open up the 2024 NFL Season was Alex Singleton and Cody Barton, which isn't the most inspiring duo.
Adding a notable free agent at ILB like Dre Greenlaw or Ernest Jones and potentially adding someone like Jonathan Allen could really put the finishing touches on the front seven. The Broncos were playing with house money a good bit in 2024 so they will need to add more talent to take that next step. Denver should look to find a good balance between continuing to draft and develop while also adding immediate-impact players.
Jonathan Allen at defensive tackle is an immediate impact player, but a potential signing would also not take Denver out of the running to take a young DT in the 2025 NFL Draft. Making a move like this is something this franchise has to strongly consider.