Zach Allen

Denver Broncos

Pos IDL

Updated October 9, 2026

Compare Zach Allen IDL rankings →

Model Score

74.3 MODEL

2020

75.3

2026

74.3

How good he is at what he is supposed to be doing, out of 100. Not a projection of what he will do next, and not a read on his contract. Median is about 70, and a 95 is rare. How it is built →

STM Take

Tier 2 (#14) breakout in 2024 to tier 4 (#32) in 2025 is an 18-spot regression that flags the 2024 finish as either context-driven or a one-year peak. The Boston College ACC pedigree plus the Vance Joseph scheme continuity gives him real veteran developmental floor. The 2026 question is whether Allen returns to tier 3 territory or whether the 2025 finish is the stable late-prime baseline.

Allen came out of Boston College as the Arizona Cardinals' 3rd-round pick (65th overall) in 2019 and followed defensive coordinator Vance Joseph from Arizona to Denver in 2023 free agency. He emerged as a tier 2 (#14) breakout in 2024 after years of developmental work. His STTM career runs tier 8 (#80) in 2021, tier 4 (#26) in 2022, tier 6 (#48) in 2023, tier 2 (#14) breakout in 2024, and tier 4 (#32) in 2025.

Strengths

2024 tier 2 (#14) breakout confirms a top-15 EDGE ceiling exists when the Vance Joseph defensive scheme aligns.
Seven years of NFL development across two systems with the same defensive coordinator gives him real scheme-specific structural value.

Concerns

18-spot regression from tier 2 (#14) in 2024 to tier 4 (#32) in 2025 flags the 2024 finish as either context-driven or one-year peak.
Denver's broader defensive identity around Bo Nix's continued development plus the scheme dependency puts the 2026 ceiling partly outside his control.

What to watch: Whether Allen returns to tier 3 (top 25) in 2026, the threshold for confirming the 2024 tier 2 finish was structural rather than situational.