49ers general manager John Lynch and vice president of player personnel Adam Peters spent parts of this week visiting Ohio State and Alabama for their Pro Days to see two of the draft’s top prospects – edge rusher Nick Bosa and defensive lineman Quinnen Williams. Kentucky edge rusher Josh Allen is another popular top prospect connected to the 49ers in pre-draft speculation. NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco reported neither Lynch nor Peters will be in attendance Friday for Kentucky’s Pro Day.
Allen was a nearly unanimous pick for San Francisco in mock drafts through most of the pre-draft process. It made a lot of sense. Bosa, the draft’s top edge rusher, was supposed to go first overall, and the 49ers would then snag Allen – the consensus No. 2 edge rusher in the class.
That speculation changed dramatically with the growing possibility that Bosa will fall to No. 2 with quarterback Kyler Murray going first to the Arizona Cardinals.
San Francisco may not have attended Allen’s Pro Day regardless. Their new incorporation of a Wide 9 defensive front requires more power from the defensive ends. That’s not part of Allen’s game that really stands out when watching him. He appears to perfectly fit a 3-4 scheme as an outside linebacker, while he’d be somewhat out of position as a 4-3 defensive end.
Allen isn’t set to work out at his Pro Day, which might’ve explained Lynch and Peters’ absence had Bosa and Williams both not skipped Pro Day workouts as well.
There’s a chance they’re skipping Allen’s Pro Day because of a scheduling conflict. The 49ers could wind up hosting him for a pre-draft visit and glean plenty of information.
What’s certain is Allen’s sensational productivity in his senior season. He racked up 17 sacks and 21.5 tackles for loss in 13 games. He backed it up with a strong showing at the combine and figures to go in the top five. Lynch said the team wants to ensure they get the best player available with their first pick. If Allen is that player, they won’t need to be at Kentucky’s Pro Day to decide figure it out.
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