Cardinals rookie DE Zach Allen looking to find role and bring high energy

High motor, relentless, constantly getting at it are the most regular words used to describe Arizona Cardinals rookie defensive end Zach Allen.

Selected in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft, Allen should have an excellent opportunity to contribute on the Cardinals newly revamped defensive line, even if he tries to be humble about it.

“I know personally, I have a lot of stuff I gotta work on,” Allen told 98.7 FM Arizona Sports Station’s Bickley & Marotta show. “I’m just here to get to work and to try to help this team any way I can and just find a role.”

Allen logged more than 100 tackles as a junior at Boston College before a slight drop off last season when the 6-foot-4, 280 pounder tallied just 61 tackles along with 6.5 sacks. Both seasons showed that Allen can be extremely productive if he can find his niche.

He joins a defensive line that will be making a transition again to a 3-4 defense after one season in the 4-3. Allen’s 280 pound frame and established tackling prowess in college could be an ideal piece to slow down opposing run games by flanking expert pass rushers Chandler Jones and newly acquired Terrell Suggs.

“There’s so many different ways to disrupt the game, not just getting sacks,” Allen said. “You can get hits in the run, passes deflected, all of that stuff. I just really pride myself on being the best complete football player I can be.”

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Allen shared one of the strangest moments he experienced during the draft process. It happened during the interview portion with a different team.

“One team just, like, made me not blink for a minute,” Allen said. “They just said like, ‘try to keep your eyes open.’ They did it to multiple players. What do you do? One kid just blinked right away, like, he didn’t want to do it. Another kid tried to hold it as long as you could.”

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