Washington Commanders defensive tackle Jonathan Allen is so good that many fans and media around the NFL don’t realize just how good.
While Daron Payne had his breakout season last year, tying Dave Butz’s franchise single-season record for a defensive tackle with 11.5 sacks, Allen remained consistently dominant.
Since signing his extension in July 2021, Allen has had his two best NFL seasons. Last season, he set a new career-high with 16 tackles for loss to go with his 7.5 sacks.
A new metric from Brandon Thorn [@BrandonThornNFL] called “pressure quality ratio” measures the rate of high-quality vs. low-quality pressures. Allen ranks third in Thorn’s tool, behind only Myles Garrett and Micah Parsons.
Let that sink in for a moment. Allen was behind two dominant edge rushers — not interior defenders.
Here’s the graphic from Thorn:
I created a metric called ‘Pressure quality ratio’ that reflects the rate of high-quality to low-quality pressures. It’s a good way to look at the most potent pass-rushers who may not have the volume of pressures as others.
– If there was one stat to look at to best gauge Myles… pic.twitter.com/AIifcih3t9
— Brandon Thorn (@BrandonThornNFL) July 2, 2023
Allen had 36 pressures, 23 of which were considered high-quality pressures.
Payne made the list at No. 22. Defensive end Montez Sweat did not make Thorn’s top 30.
Thorn is one of the best in the media as it pertains to line play [offensive or defensive]. You can subscribe to his substack here for more information.
As for Allen, regardless of what someone tells you about any of Washington’s other defensive linemen, it’s the captain who remains the most feared.
