Daily Norseman
What does the former first-round pick and 2x Pro Bowler have left in the tank?
When the Minnesota Vikings signed Jonathan Allen this off-season, the first reaction for many Vikings’ fans was that he’ll be an instant upgrade to the Vikings’ defensive interior who can be more of a pass rushing threat than they had in that group last season. After all, Allen is a two-time Pro Bowler and first-round pick who’s enjoyed a solid career with the Commanders before being released earlier this year to save cap space.
But entering his ninth season at age 30, what does Allen have left in the tank? And what will his role be with the Vikings at this stage of his career?
Looking back at Allen’s production and season PFF grades (below) we see an ascending player through his rookie contract, peaking in 2021 and descending since then. He spent over half his rookie season on IR with a foot injury and did the same last season with a torn pectoral injury, although he was able to come back late in the season.
But overall, Allen’s career looks like that of many players entering their ninth season at age 30 and on the downside of their career. Should that trend hold, Allen would likely be a disappointment for Vikings fans looking for Allen to be an upgrade to the defensive tackle position.
It wouldn’t be the first time the Vikings have brought in a veteran defensive tackle in recent years hoping to upgrade their interior pass rush only to be disappointed by the result. Dean Lowry and Jerry Tillery both disappointed after all. Might Allen be another in this string of disappointments?
The first thing that’s worth mentioning is that with Dean Lowry and Jerry Tillery, they were never good. It’s one thing taking on an older vet that’s never really produced and another taking on a older vet that has produced at a high level but seen his production slip in recent years. In the first case, coaches may see some promise in measurables or technique development; they may try to leverage those for more production- which is difficult for a player that’s been in the league several years and never really caught on. In the second case, coaches may look at his tape in the recent down years compared to earlier years. Is the player more consistently slowing down? Is he easily fatigued? Is there an injury issue? Has his role/usage changed? Has something else changed that may have affected his production?
Sometimes the answer is the most common one: age is catching up to him and his body is no longer producing like it once did. But sometimes there is another reason for the drop in production.
While his pass rush PFF grade has slipped some, his quarterback pressure numbers have been stable with upper single digit sacks over a full...
