Zach Allen DE Boston College
 

Have seen some stuff on twitter about him being the Chiefs pick at 29 if they stay there.

That doesn't seem ideal to me. Thoughts?

Doesn't seem likely, I would think....unless they just really hate Breeland Speaks.

Was kind of what i was thinking. Seems to be a bit redundant as a SDE.

They need a war daddy at WDE, but sadly, those aren't easy to find.

By you’ve seen stuff do you mean rumors or just predictions?

The dude that had the Watkins stuff said "gun to my head right now, if they stay at 29 thats who they'd take" or something like that.

I really think you guys are hung up on LDE and RDE being really different types. I don't think that's necessarily so in Spag's mind.

Look at how Trey Flowers lined up with Daly as his position coach; flip-flopping one side to the other. Look at what Spagnuolo did with his '4 aces' lineup in New York.

DE's 260-ish plus and they go anywhere and everywhere on passing downs.

the idea is to create confusion in the blocking scheme and guys come free. The idea also is that the beef up front allows for smaller, faster linebackers to blitz and/or fly to the ball and better short/intermediate coverage for backs in the flat, slot areas, and short middle of the field.

Zach Allen would totally fit the concept. So does Omenihu. So does Ferrell. Sweat does not, for example.

They clearly didn't want Ford-who's a prototype 'LEO' and my guess is his lack of physicality in the run game.

They're going to make it impossible to run and force teams to try to beat Mahomes in a 'shoot out'.

Your RDE does not have to be a 'speed rush' guy. Even here in KC, in a 3-4, It was often Hali that was rushing weak-side and Houston strong-side.

The differences are even less with what I have seen of Spagnuolo and Daly's line play.

If they've got 4 DE's they like, they're all going to play a lot and they're going to move around.

Sure, but the guys he had in New York weren't strong slow guys.

I think thats the route they want to go for sure, but you leave yourself open to some issues with it as well if you don't have the horses.

Ford really isn't a prototypical LEO and is more of just a pass-rushing specialist.

Spags isn't going to want a bunch of stiffs playing at DE.

Hali and Houston, for example, weren't speed rushers.

I don't know that I'd call them slow, but they weren't fast.

Ford is the only 'fast' guy we've had as a rusher unless you go all the way back to Derrick Thomas.

I just think a lot of folks are looking at things through a skewed lens.

God let's hope the Chiefs have come to their senses on this failed project.

Of course not.

That doesn't mean you have to have speed rush guys at DE end though.

Power guys are fine too, and if your emphasis is:

THOU SHALT NOT RUN THE BALL

Then power rush guys are fine. You can cross and stunt blitz A and B gaps and move guys around to create rush opportunities just like New England did against us and like the Giants did under Spagnuolo.

I think we've had a few years of scheme making guys look worse than their talent level. I also think we might get a few years of a scheme making guys look BETTER.

facepalm

I would shit gold ingots if the Chiefs were able to somehow draft Clelin Ferrell.

Well yeah, but you're not going to have the best success doing all that with a Speaks and Allen duo.

Keep riding that Speaks train to Sadnessville.

Curious how many people who'd be pissed about Bradbury at 29 would be fine with this pick because "We need to rebuild the defense..."

Zach Allen at 29 would be a garbage pick. There are literally 20 players like him in this draft. He's fine. He's a solid prospect.

And so are a dozen other guys that will be available in the 2nd or 3rd.

He'd be the reachiest of reachy need picks and an AWFUL decision.

"But muh defense!!!!"

Except that you might well.

I don't think it's fair at all to assess Speaks' potential as a 4-3 end based on a season of playing 3-4 OLB in Sutton's scheme in which he was actually used in coverage of all things.

And if you look at Allen's tape, he's a well rounded player. I would say he's a bigger Trey Flowers as a comparison. Not a slower Flowers, just a bigger Flowers. And Flowers NOW, not the mid-round draft pick developmental Flowers. I see an 8-9 sack guy that's a plus run defender with no real hole in his game. I think you can absolutely win with a guy like that.

Have you actually watched the kid? I don't think you have. There are NOT 20 guys like that in this draft.

go watch a youtube video on him. Watch him throw around offensive tackles from major schools. The guy's a good player at a position of need. A slight reach at 29, but not a gigantic reach. A GREAT pick at one of our #2's.

I don't see 8-9 sacks. He'a more Solomon Thomas than Flowers.

Oh. I don't think so at all. I think he's much better.

I think you're going to be eating crow.

This is going to be an interesting draft. There's literally nothing that would piss me off, and maybe 20 guys in those first two rounds that I like a lot. It just depends on how the board falls and which way they decide to go.

I think Bradbury at 29th is a sensible, legit pick.

If Veach can't get Ferrell or Sweat it's going to be Omenihu IMO. In all intents and purposes he's player archetype Brett/Spags want at DE. The question is how obsessive Veach is to obtain Omenihu if said players are gone.

I think this guy is a top half of the 2nd kind of guy, rather than a first rounder. It would be a reach but not a ridiculous one.

I'd still rather have Jaylon Ferguson (in general, not specifically in the 1st)

I like Allen. I see a poor man's JJ Watt.

Not fast, but explosive off the snap and extremely violent hands to get rid of blocks. Beast against the run and upside as a pass rusher. Versatility to kick inside and move around. Not sexy, but would be a damn solid player, imo.

I tend to agree here.

Allen, to me, looks like a player who is going to immediately be pretty good and we’re going to look back and wonder how everyone didn’t see it coming (and take him in the first 40 or so picks).

He’s just a good player, it shows up in everything you can watch of him.

I like Ferguson too, but the film comparison isn't close. Ferguson's beating up on...like Eastern Idaho Tech. Allen's doing that to SEC schools. Some of those offensive tackles will be or have been drafted.

Yeah; purely based on the video(s) he's just dominating the line of scrimmage in those games against top flight competition.

Look at his hands; his power and his quickness, his 'bend' which is pretty good for a guy of that size although he's mostly able to make one move and then bull through as soon the lineman commits. He's relentless.

You could do a lot worse at #29 but if he's there at #61 You better nab him.

I like Omenihu a lot too.

I tend to agree here. Allen is not a 1st rd caliber player and anyone who takes him there will be reaching.

We’re in that soft spot of the draft where the 1st rd caliber players are few and far between, so I expect Veach to move up for a difference maker rather than sit and settle.

I think Ferguson's comparable to young Hali with better length but still kind of raw. Like Hali, I think he's a nice complimentary piece but not 'the' dominant guy at the NFL level.

Omenihu has those long arms that really keep guys off him. I think that'll help him against the run as well. He's got good hands, too.

Allen as a poor man's Watt? Well, when Watt was healthy he was THE dominant defensive lineman in football. I think you can use Allen inside or outside. Allen looks more violent on film than Omenihu; more physical. Different styles, similar results.

I suppose all three of these guys are 'complimentary pieces'. But any and all would be solid choices given where we pick in either the first or second. Personally, I think one and perhaps two of them will be there at #61 and we should go corner or safety at #29.

I love Allen in the 2nd just like Omenihu, but I don’t think I’m going that way in the 1st. Winovich and Polite would be good picks in the 2nd too. Someone will make it to us. Get somebody like Adderley or Bradbury in the 1st and see what pass rushers, corners, and linebackers fall in day 2.

I’m in full agreement, but we all know Veach. The guy is gonna trade up for somebody.

He’s an aggressive guy and it’s hard to think he loaded up on 2nd rd picks to sit still.

You’re probably right.

I like Allen and would be more than fine with the pick. He's a really good football player. He definitely fits more in that lde role, but he can move around. He's everything most people want to think Omenihu is (but Omenihu isn't even close to being).

I don’t get the love for Allen. He’s a good run stuffer with a motor, but his pass rushing skills aren’t exactly first rd caliber.

I’ve watched him and just don’t think he uses his hands or has enough moves to be a top end rusher.

Fine with him in rd 2 though.

He graded out at 90. something as a pass rusher last year. Previous seasons was higher as a run stuffer. so the pass rush part of his game would appear to be later developing.

I think he and Winovich are pretty much the same guy at this stage of development.

I think he's round 2 material, but you might have to take him at #29 if you want him due to the fact that there are only a couple of guys at that size that fit this scheme (if we're judging by the Okafor/Ogbah signings).

I like both of those guys a little better than Omenihu and then a bit more than Ferguson.

i also wouldn't rule out a Christian Wilkins or Jerry Tillery should one of those guys fall. The interior pass rush would be fierce.

I think we would have to get to #12 to get Ferrell. Miami needs a replacement for Robert Quinn.

I would be amazed if Ferrell went in the top 15.