Nick Bosa’s stranglehold on the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 draft appears to be loosening as the NFL season closes and draft season begins. That could throw a wrench, albeit a favorable one, into the 49ers’ draft plans. One player the 49ers will have to consider regardless of who’s available at No. 2 is Kentucky outside linebacker Josh Allen.
Allen put up a monster senior season for the Wildcats to cap a very strong college career. His prowess as a pass rusher is apparent in watching his tape and looking at his numbers. That alone will make him an enticing option for San Francisco. However, Allen told Justin Melo of Draft Wire that he’s more than just a run-of-the-mill pass rusher.
“I feel like I’m a versatile guy,” he said in a Q & A with Melo in October. “I can play on or off the ball. I’m a quick-twitch linebacker. I have good hand placement. I feel comfortable dropping in coverage. I played a lot in coverage last year. This year, my coaches have asked me to rush the quarterback more often. I’ve put everything on tape. I don’t really drop that much anymore but when I do, I feel good about playing man-to-man. I love getting after the quarterback. I love working that speed-and-rip move off the edge. I have a little inside move as well. I’m still working on my game so I can mix things up more effectively.”
Versatility is going to be key for a 49ers defense that so often drops its edge players into coverage. It’s also a necessity given how often the 49ers diversify their look up front.
Allen’s 17 sacks in 2018 and 31 over the last three years will be what stand out the most to a 49ers team that desperately needs to impact passing games off the edge. The more ways he can contribute to the defense though, the better.
If Allen’s tape shows the kind of versatility he talked about with Melo, he may wind up being the player the 49ers take at No. 2 no matter who else is available.
There is still four months until the 2019 draft, and so much can change in that time. Early returns on the edge class have been very positive though, and it’s becoming clear as the draft process begins that the 49ers are in very good shape picking No. 2 with a need at edge rusher.
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