Only Seven Defensive Linemen Reached The Dennis Allen “Gold Zone” At Scouting Combine
Every team always says they’ll take the best player available, regardless of position. That is hardly ever true. What they mean is that they will take the best player who both fits a potential need and meets the physical parameters they want. General managers and coaches have certain thresholds they aren’t willing to compromise on when it comes to size, length, and speed for draft prospects. The Chicago Bears are no different. General manager Ryan Poles, head coach Ben Johnson, and defensive coordinator Dennis Allen each have their preferences.
Allen is likely to be the one who takes center stage in the upcoming draft. Already, the team is moving towards a significant overhaul on defense. That means Allen will have a strong voice in how they approach adding young talent. No unit figures to get more action than the defensive line. Looking at his track record, it becomes clear that the benchmarks players must meet in terms of size and athleticism to be considered for his defense. We’ll call it his gold zone.
Defensive tackle:
- 290-300 lbs
- 32+-inch arms
- 10-yard split between 1.68 and 1.75
Edge rusher:
- 250-285 lbs
- 33+-inch arms
- 10-yard split between 1.55 and 1.65
Only seven players reached that gold zone for Dennis Allen.
It’s worth noting that several notable names didn’t participate in drills at the event, including projected 1st-rounders like Peter Woods, Christen Miller, and Zion Young. All are expected to run at their pro days, so this list could change. As of now, there are nine players who have the required size, length, and explosive get-off to be circled by Allen as a good fit for his defense. Only two of them are currently projected as 1st round picks, and one will be long gone before the Bears go on the clock.
| Prospect | Weight (lbs) | Arm Length (in) | 10-Yard Split (sec) |
|---|---|---|---|
| David Bailey (Texas Tech) | 251 | 33 3/4″ | 1.58 |
| Malachi Lawrence (UCF) | 253 | 33 5/8″ | 1.59 |
| T.J. Parker (Clemson) | 263 | 33 1/8″ | 1.61 |
| Dani Dennis-Sutton (Penn State) | 256 | 33 1/2″ | 1.63 |
| Zane Durant (Penn State) | 290 | 31 7/8″ | 1.66 |
| Kaleb Proctor (SE Louisiana) | 291 | 33″ | 1.69 |
| Jackie Marshall (Baylor) | 300 | 32″ | 1.69 |
Bailey is the one who is unlikely to make it out of the top 10 this April. He’s been one of the hottest names in the draft for months. The one 1st rounder left is Parker. He has prototypical defensive end size, length, and explosiveness. He was excellent in 2024 with 11 sacks. However, this past season saw a regression in stats. He was very good at the Senior Bowl, though. He is a legitimate option for the 25th pick. However, the most intriguing name on that list is Lawrence.
Allen will have some interesting options.
For the past few months, Lawrence was considered a 3rd or 4th round guy. He was consistently productive at UCF but never had that massive breakout season. Yet his size, length, and explosiveness are real. They pop on tape as well. His tackles for loss per game (TFL/g) sit at 0.92, which is right behind expected top 10 pick Rueben Bain Jr. (0.97). Depending on how the 1st round unfolds, it’s fair to wonder if Lawrence might go considerably higher than the media believes at this stage.
The far more problematic position is defensive tackle. Right now, the only one of the three listed who will go in the first three rounds is Durant. None of the 1st round prospects met the parameters. Most were too heavy or not explosive enough. This puts Dennis Allen in a predicament. The list of options is small, meaning he’ll either have to make some compromises on his desired length and weight or go after a guy he wants early. It puts the team in a serious conundrum. The hope is that some of the players who didn’t participate will check the necessary boxes at their pro days.
As of now, keep Parker’s name cirlced for the 1st round while Durant and Lawrence could be 2nd round options.