Zach Allen is progressing nicely for the Arizona Cardinals

The fourth-year defensive end out of Boston College has steadily transformed into a solid contributor for the Arizona Cardinals.

For the past three seasons, the Arizona Cardinals have witnessed a steady improvement in the play of Zach Allen. The defensive end did not develop overnight, however, so the coaching staff was forced to have patience with the raw prospect.

This past fall, Allen took a significant step forward. In 15 appearances (14 starts) for the Cards, the 6-foot-4, 281-pounder registered 48 tackles, four sacks, and four pass breakups. Each of those totals were career highs for the fourth-year pro.

During a Week 13 victory over the Chicago Bears, Allen intercepted an errant pass from quarterback Andy Dalton. The 24-year-old rumbled down to the Chicago 12-yard line with the pick, and Kyler Murray scampered into the end zone a short time later.

In Week 18, Allen provided another spark for his Arizona teammates during a disappointing loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Just two plays into the matchup, the former third-round draft pick took a fumble from Seattle signal-caller Russell Wilson into the end zone, giving the Cardinals an early 7-0 advantage.

Arizona Cardinals counting on Zach Allen to continue trending upwards in 2022

Allen was drafted with the 65th-overall selection back in 2019. The defender participated in four collegiate campaigns at Boston College, and he was voted Second-team All-ACC in 2018.

The Connecticut native dressed for just four contests as a rookie, but he was ultimately placed on the injured-reserve list due to a lingering neck issue. Allen’s stat line for his first professional season consisted of just eight tackles and three quarterback hits.

In 2020, Allen appeared in 13 games for the Cards, and he was credited with seven starts. His numbers for the year included 35 tackles, two sacks, and three pass breakups for coordinator Vance Joseph‘s defense.

Allen revealed last week that he played through an ankle injury in 2021. Offseason surgery has corrected the issue, and he tweeted that he’ll be back at 100 percent when next season rolls around.

Arizona has to be impressed with an individual who has the character and toughness to ignore pain, and still manage to perform at a high level. The sky could be the limit for a healthy Allen in 2022.