The Chicago Bears are coming off a very disappointing season. With such high hopes going into 2024, finishing with only five wins is a massive failure. They were once again in the basement of the NFC North and still have some glaring holes to fill. Ryan Poles and Ben Johnson have already started filling some of those gaps with future Hall of Famer Joe Thuney and former Pro Bowler Jonah Jackson as the new guards. This leaves holes still at running back, defensive end, and depth at multiple positions. Defensive tackle is on that list, but a star is not needed, and I'll explain why.
Dennis Allen is a well-established coach and defensive coordinator. Ben Johnson and the Chicago Bears were lucky to land him as their new defensive coordinator. I'd even argue that he's a better defensive coordinator than Matt Eberflus. Although both run 4-3 base schemes, they couldn't be any different.
Eberflus prefers his defensive line to generate pressure from the inside, plays mostly zone coverage, and isn't known for his blitzing mentality. He doesn't even disguise his coverages as much as Allen. Allen prefers to generate pressure from the outside but also requires his defensive ends to have disciplined containment and run-stopping ability. He's going to love Montez Sweat.
Too many Chicago Bears fans have been pushing for the Bears to select a defensive tackle with the 10th-overall pick or possibly by trading back. Mason Graham is the only guy I'd consider at 10 as a DT. Walter Nolen is close. However, that position does not need a star in Dennis Allen's system.
Denver Broncos | Defensive Coordinator (2011)
Looking at Allen's tenure, starting with his first gig as a defensive coordinator in 2008 with the Broncos, he rarely had a top-tier defensive tackle. That season, the Broncos had Bunkley Broderick and Kevin Vickerson. Neither ever made a Pro Bowl. The Broncos went 8-8 in the regular season but still made the playoffs. The defense was tied for 10th in the league with 41 sacks. The driving force behind most of those sacks was the defensive ends - Von Miller and Elvis Dumervil
Oakland Raiders | Head Coach (2012-2014)
Moving onto Dennis Allen's time as the head coach of the Oakland Raiders, we will see how important the defensive tackles were to his defense over a three-year span. Or, how unimportant. Now, he was the head coach and not the defensive coordinator, but with Jason Tarver as the coordinator, it's pretty easy to understand this was Allen's defense.
During Allen's tenure, the Raiders had Richard Seymour, Tommy Kelly, Vance Walker, Pat Sims, and Antonio Smith. Seeing Syemour's name on this list probably has some fans confused. However, Seymour was already on the roster and Allen inherited him. He only played one year under Allen and retired after only playing eight games in his final season. I doubt many even remember the rest of these names. Antonio Smith made a Pro Bowl once in his 13-year career (as a DE, not a DT), and the rest of these DTs never sniffed that type of success.
Allen struggled as a head coach in Oakland. He only led the team to eight wins in 28 games. After a 0-4 start in 2014, he was fired. There weren't many positives to come from Allen's tenure in Oakland. It was similar to what we saw from Matt Eberflus -- good defensive coordinator but not a good head coach.
New Orleans Saints | Defensive Coordinator (2016-2021)
After losing his head coaching gig in Oakland, Dennis Allen moved back to the Saints' staff in 2015. He became the interim defensive coordinator during that season, but I didn't look into the roster since he wasn't the main guy at the start of the year.
Starting in 2016, the New Orleans Saints' defensive line featured Cameron Jordan. Jordan was the only big name, though. Nick Fairley and Tyeler Davison were the DTs. Another pair who weren't studs. Fairley did finish with 6.5 sacks during his only season with the Saints, but he was never a Pro Bowler or an All-Pro.
There are two outliers in Dennis Allen's oversight of a team or defense when the team focused on the defensive tackle position. The first time we saw this was in 2016 when the Saints used a first-round pick on Sheldon Rankins. Rankins was selected 12th overall and lasted five years with the Saints. He never saw a second contract with the Saints, despite the team picking up his fifth-year option. Rankins was also never selected as a Pro Bowler or an All-Pro, but he was a very good 3-technique. Under Allen's tutelage, Rankins finished with 17.5 sacks in 5 seasons.
The other DTs who played next to Rankins in New Orleans were Tyeler Davison (already mentioned), Malcom Brown and David Onyemata. None of them were top-tier DTs in the league.
New Orleans Saints | Head Coach (2022-2024)
Now, we are in the most recent years of Dennis Allen's career. Allen took over as the Saints' head coach in 2022, but after a 2-7 start last season, he was fired. It was during this time that we saw the second outlier that I alluded to earlier. The Saints used another first-round pick on a 3-technique defensive end when they drafted Bryan Bresee in 2023. I was high on Bresee coming out of Clemson and was a little surprised he lasted as long as he did, but the Saints snagged him at pick 29. He didn't start his rookie year, but still came away with 4.5 sacks. Last year, he had 7.5.
Outside of Bresee, the other DTs who started for Dennis Allen during his time as head coach were David Onyemata, Nathan Shepherd, Khalen Saunders and Shy Tuttle. Again, more guys who are just guys.
Instead, it is important to look at the names of those who have played defensive end under Dennis Allen. I already mentioned Von Miller, Elvis Dumervil and Jordan Cameron. Allen was the Head Coach in Oakland when the Raiders drafted Khalil Mack, and he was the Defensive Coordinator in New Orleans when the Saints drafted Trey Hendrickson. The end position is clearly a bigger priority and focus for Allen than the DT position. Bears fans need to wrap their heads around the fact that this isn't Matt Eberflus anymore, and Allen isn't as concerned with the 3-technique position.
With the emergence of Gervon Dexter last season, coupled with Andrew Billings coming back healthy from his pectoral injury, the Chicago Bears have a very solid starting DT duo. I would not count on the Bears looking to draft a DT in the first round. I also wouldn't expect to see one taken in the second round unless there was a player who was too good to pass up on. The Chicago Bears need depth at DT, so it is still a need, but they don't need to find a stud. They could look to guys like Jerry Tillery or Jervon Kinlaw as solid free-agent options who can improve the position immediately.