In a league obsessed with highlight-reel edge rushers and flashy defensive backs, the Denver Broncos have quietly built one of the NFL’s most relentless pass rushes from the inside out. Over eight weeks, the Broncos rank among the league’s top teams in sacks, and a massive share of that pressure comes from two players who almost never light up national headlines: Zach Allen and Malcolm Roach.
While the spotlight stays locked on the usual suspects, these two interior defensive linemen keep collapsing pockets, generating constant chaos up the middle, and turning routine dropbacks into frantic escapes for opposing quarterbacks.
Allen and Roach put up elite production, yet they remain heavily underrated. They don’t just rack up sacks and pressures. They absorb double teams, free up the edge rushers, stuff the run, and create the interior chaos that makes the Broncos defense click. Their consistency and two-way impact are a big reason Denver’s front has been so disruptive this season. Still, they fly under the national radar week after week.
That needs to change.
The Quiet Engine of Denver’s Front
Zach Allen has spent the 2026 season doing what he does best, dominating from the interior without demanding the spotlight. Through eight weeks, the 29-year-old defensive lineman owns a 79.2 overall PFF grade (fifth among all interior defensive linemen) and leads the entire position group with 34 pressures. Those pressures have produced 4.5 official sacks, a league-high number of quarterback hits among interior players, and constant disruption that forces offenses to account for him on every snap.
What makes Allen especially valuable is how he helps everyone around him. He routinely draws double teams, opening lanes for edge rushers like Nik Bonitto and creating one-on-one opportunities for Malcolm Roach. Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph has publicly pushed Allen to elevate his run defense this year, and the results show: Allen’s improved strength against the run has helped solidify the entire front. Teammates notice the impact even when the national cameras don’t. As one fellow lineman put it earlier this season, Allen is “so good at opening things up for other people.” He even made a huge special-teams play against the 49ers in Week 5, flying in to block a field-goal attempt at the end of the first half and keeping the game tied.
Elite Numbers, Little Recognition
The numbers only get more impressive the deeper you dig. Allen ranks first among interior defensive linemen in total pressures, sits near the top of the league in quarterback hits, and maintains an elite 82.1 PFF pass-rush grade. He has also been one of the most consistent snap-to-snap performers on the Broncos’ defense, logging a heavy workload while still producing at a high level against both the pass and the run. Few interior players in the NFL are matching this combination of volume and efficiency.
Even with those numbers, the national coverage on Allen still feels surprisingly shallow. Most highlight packages and weekly rankings focus on flashier edge rushers or big-name defensive tackles. Allen’s steady dominance from the middle of the line rarely gets the same attention. He keeps winning his matchups. He also elevates the players around him. Still, the conversation about the league’s best defensive linemen often moves past him.
The Rising Force in the Middle
While Zach Allen anchors the Broncos’ interior with consistent excellence, Malcolm Roach has emerged as one of the season’s most pleasant surprises. The 28-year-old defensive tackle has quietly put together a highly productive campaign, recording 3.5 sacks, 23 pressures (12th among interior defensive linemen) according to PFF, 24 total tackles, and 4 passes defensed through eight games.
His overall PFF grade sits at 65.2, but the advanced numbers back up the film. Roach owns a 69.7 PFF pass-rush grade and ranks fifth among defensive tackles in ESPN’s run-stop win rate. Those 23 pressures break down into 4 sacks, 12 hurries, and 7 quarterback hits, and he is already on a career-high pace in both pressures and QB hits. Through the first seven weeks alone, he had posted 12 quarterback hits, 10th in the NFL. This puts him on track for roughly 27 over a full season, production that matches or exceeds what many edge rushers deliver. That kind of interior production is rare and valuable.
Stepping Into the Franklin-Myers Void
When John Franklin-Myers left in free agency this past offseason, many wondered who would fill the void in Denver’s defensive line rotation. Roach has answered that question emphatically. Tasked with a larger role opposite Allen, he has not only held his own but elevated his game.
The clearest proof came in Week 8 against the Kansas City Chiefs. Roach sacked Patrick Mahomes on fourth-and-goal as time expired. That play sealed a 28-24 victory and put the Broncos alone in first place in the AFC West.
Roach’s impact goes beyond that one play, though. He complements Allen perfectly. When opposing offenses slide protection toward Allen, Roach takes advantage of the lighter boxes and creates immediate pressure. He has shown improved pass-rush moves this season. He also remains stout against the run, ranking among the better interior players in run-stop win rate.
The national spotlight still largely overlooks Roach. Despite contributing key plays, his name rarely surfaces in broader discussions about the league’s top defensive linemen. That lack of recognition only strengthens the case that he and Allen are among the most underrated players at their position this year.
How They Complement Each Other
Allen typically handles a heavier snap load and generates most of the pressure as a high-volume disruptor. Roach provides a stout interior presence against the run and delivers timely pressure on third downs and in critical situations. Together they create problems for opposing offensive lines that go beyond individual stats. They force double teams, collapse pockets from the inside, and free up edge rushers like Nik Bonitto to work one-on-one.
This interior strength has become a quiet backbone for a Broncos defense that has helped the team win a series of close games. While the national narrative often focuses on Bo Nix’s late-game heroics or the secondary, Allen and Roach’s work in the trenches sets the tone every week. Strictly counting defensive linemen, Allen and Roach rank 1 and 2 in QB hits. As the season continues, both players have earned more recognition than they currently receive. For now, they remain the quiet force that opposing offensive lines have to account for on every snap.
Why They Remain Underrated
Interior defensive linemen rarely receive the same spotlight as edge rushers or skill-position players. Allen has been labeled underrated for years even while posting elite advanced metrics. Roach’s path from undrafted free agent to key contributor makes his production even easier to overlook. The Broncos’ defense gets plenty of credit as a unit. Their more marketable stars pull national attention away from the middle of the line.
Yet the tape and the numbers tell a clear story. Advanced metrics from PFF and Next Gen Stats show consistent disruption week after week. Teammates and coaches see the daily impact in practice and in games. And in the biggest moments, such as Roach’s game-sealing sack against the Chiefs, the results speak for themselves.
As the Broncos push toward a potential deep playoff run, Allen and Roach will remain essential pieces of the defense. They may not make the loudest headlines. But they are among the league’s most valuable defensive linemen this season.
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