Zach Allen
With the sudden announcement of JJ Watt’s retirement, the re-signing of Allen becomes even more important once the free agency period begins. He was second on the team in sacks behind Watt, but the most surprising stat is that Allen was tied for second on the team with eight passes defended.
It appears that Allen has been learning from Watt how to use his length to swat down passes while pursuing quarterbacks as that has been a staple of Watt’s game for a long time. Allen was also third on the team in tackles for loss and was able to become a bright spot on a disappointing team that had playoff aspirations.
He could become a force on the Arizona Cardinals defensive line for years to come. Not only is Allen athletic and versatile for his size at 6’5 and 290 pounds but he is one of the better run defenders on the team as well.