Broncos' DL Zach Allen's 'Superpower' Revealed by Ex-Position Coach

Losing defensive tackle Dre'Mont Jones in free agency was a substantial hit, but the Denver Broncos anticipated it. Replacing Jones' exceptional interior presence meant contingency plans would have to be advanced, and so it proved when GM George Paton inked former Arizona Cardinals defensive lineman Zach Allen to a lucrative three-year, $51 million deal.

Allen is generally considered to be a better run defender than Jones, but perhaps he brings just slightly less bang for the buck when it comes to getting after opposing quarterbacks. That being said, how Allen has developed on a year-to-year basis leaves plenty of scope to believe he can also improve in the pass-rushing department.

Blessed with all the physical attributes he needs, Allen's cerebral approach to his game sets him up for continued success — just ask his former position coach in Arizona, Brenston Buckner.

“Zach matured as a player,” Buckner said via Parker Gabriel of The Denver Post. “Not that he was immature, but you just saw him become more understanding of what his superpower was. Zach’s superpower is the way he sees the game mentally. You’re not going to out-study him, he’s going to know the playbook in and out, he’s going to know what all 11 guys are doing on defense. He’s going to know formations and tendencies of offensive guys. Once he got to the point where he could slow the information down in his mind that he was taking in, his natural ability took over.”

Allen's high football intelligence and burning desire to get better should go a long way toward alleviating the concerns that Jones' departure would open up a gaping hole the Broncos' new coaching staff would struggle to fill. Broncos head coach Sean Payton covets players who can handle the mental side of the game, so Buckner believes the fit in Denver will suit Allen and allow him to keep improving.

“You could steady see him building,” Buckner told Gabriel. “One thing that people in Denver and his teammates in Denver and the fans in Denver (will see) is Zach has an unbridled passion to be successful on the field. I call it being a professional jerk, which is a good thing. He’s going to go hard. He hates to lose a rep in practice. He hates to make a mental mistake…You’re talking about a guy that has talent and has that level of work ethic, his success was just a matter of time.”

Not all Broncos fans were particularly stoked to see former head coach Vance Joseph return to coordinate the defense this season, and many were indeed quick to voice some disapproval. For Allen, however, Buckner is confident that having his former defensive coordinator around once more gives his former protégé a real advantage to settle in and quickly produce in Denver.

“Vance knows Zach and just as important, Zack knows Vance,” Bucker told Gabriel. “I talked to him when he made his decision and said, ‘You’re one of the few people that hit it big in free agency and goes to a new team but gets to play in the same defense on a new team. It’s set up for success.’”