BC’s Zach Allen Heads to Arizona

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Cardinals take the second BC player this draft in the third round

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – Boston College defensive lineman Zach Allen was selected with the 65th pick in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft Friday night by the Arizona Cardinals. Allen is the second Boston College player taken in the 2019 NFL Draft after Chris Lindstrom went 14^th overall in the first round Thursday to the Atlanta Falcons.

Since 1980, Boston College had at least one player drafted every year except 2005 and 2013. The Eagles have had multiple players selected in the NFL Draft in six consecutive years under head coach Steve Addazio.

Allen becomes the second BC defensive linemen in as many years to be drafted in the top three rounds after defensive end Harold Landry went in the second round in 2018 to the Tennessee Titans.

Allen is the first BC player drafted by the Cardinals since Joe Wolf was selected in the first round (17^th overall) by Phoenix in the 1989 NFL Draft.

Per Pick Six Previews, 40 Boston College players have been drafted since 2000, and 22 of them have played on the offensive or defensive line. No other school in the country has had a higher percentage of their draft selections come from the trenches (55 percent) since 2000.

“Zach is a big man and is a great athlete,” said Addazio. “He has tremendous versatility – whether it is on the edge, inside, and his ability to go from speed to power is incredible. Yet, he has the fluidity to dip and bend underneath offensive linemen in the pass rush. Zach is going to play a long time in the NFL with the Cardinals.”

Allen becomes the 16^th player drafted during the Addazio era at Boston College and the sixth player during Addazio’s tenure to be taken in the top three rounds. Allen is the 215^th player in Boston College history to be selected in the NFL or AFL Draft.

An All-ACC second-team selection, Allen led BC in tackles-for-loss (15.0) and ranked among the top 10 in school history in sacks and TFLs. He was rated by Pro Football Focus as the top edge rusher in the ACC and was a semifinalist for the Lott IMPACT Trophy. Allen was named the Connecticut Player of the Year by the Walter Camp Football Foundation and was named a second-team All-American by Pro Football Focus.

Allen played in 50 career games for the Eagles, including 26 starts. His career totals included 199 tackles, 40.5 tackles for loss, 18.5 sacks, 14 pass breakups, four fumble recoveries, and two blocked kicks.