Jonathan Allen

There's some amount of uncertainty about how Washington will use Allen as they shift from a 3-4 to a 4-3 under Ron Rivera, but there's little or no question that Allen is among the best defensive linemen in the league. Now 25 in his fourth NFL season, Allen's last two years hint at an imminent All-Pro breakout season. He totaled 129 tackles and 14 sacks in those 1,447 snaps, which would project to about 67 tackles and 7.5 sacks over 750 snaps. The downside with Allen is it's difficult to see him playing many more snaps than that - fellow tackles Matthew Ioannidis and Daron Payne are too good to leave on the bench much, and Washington's defensive end rotation is three-deep with standout starters, too.

The Washington pass rush is going places and Allen is a big reason why, as the former Alabama star is closing in on All-Pro distinction following a sophomore season in which he produced 61 tackles and eight sacks on 777 snaps. With a little luck, Allen's snap count could be closer to 850 this year, and in that event he'd be a great bet to hit double-digit sacks. With a strong supporting cast around him, Allen will have the benefit of disrupted pockets even if he sees double-teams, so the context couldn't be much better.

Selected 17th overall in last year's draft, Allen managed just 10 tackles and one sack in five games before a foot injury ended his rookie season. He returned healthy for the offseason program and figures to have a starting job, but his role as a 3-4 end doesn't seem too conducive to piling up sacks or tackles. Washington's linebackers dominated the IDP production last year.

Allen is the Redskins' first defensive first-round selection since Ryan Kerrigan was picked in 2011, as the team looks to transform a defense that ranked fifth in total yards allowed last season. Once touted as a top-five overall pick, Allen possesses the ability to play at various spots on the line. At 291 pounds, he certainly will fill Washington's need of a run-stopper but also has proven to be a disruptive rusher when needed. The Alabama product should pay dividends for Washington in 2017 as he is pegged to be an immediate starter.