Niner Noise
FanSided

2019 NFL Draft: Power ranking top 10 edge rushers for 49ers

By Peter Panacy

COLUMBUS, OH - SEPTEMBER 1: Nick Bosa #97 of the Ohio State Buckeyes celebrates after recovering a fumble in the end zone for a touchdown in the second quarter against the Oregon State Beavers at Ohio Stadium on September 1, 2018 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)
COLUMBUS, OH - SEPTEMBER 1: Nick Bosa #97 of the Ohio State Buckeyes celebrates after recovering a fumble in the end zone for a touchdown in the second quarter against the Oregon State Beavers at Ohio Stadium on September 1, 2018 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
9 of 11
Next
LEXINGTON, KY – SEPTEMBER 22: Josh Allen #41 of the Kentucky Wildcats celebrates during the 28-7 win over the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Commonwealth Stadium on September 22, 2018 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
LEXINGTON, KY – SEPTEMBER 22: Josh Allen #41 of the Kentucky Wildcats celebrates during the 28-7 win over the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Commonwealth Stadium on September 22, 2018 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

There are going to be some who think Kentucky EDGE Josh Allen belongs higher on this list, possibly even the No. 1 overall prospect in this year’s NFL Draft.

Stat-wise, it’s not hard to understand why. His 17-sack campaign for Kentucky in 2018, which included three sacks against Penn State in the 2019 Citrus Bowl, helped propel his draft stock well within the top five. And he was still productive before that, too:

Josh Allen Defense & Fumbles Table
Tackles Def Int Fumbles
Year School Conf Class Pos G Solo Ast Tot Loss Sk Int Yds Avg TD PD FR Yds TD FF
2015 Kentucky SEC FR LB 3 1 3 4 1.5 0.5 0 0 0 1 0 0
*2016 Kentucky SEC SO LB 13 32 30 62 8.5 7.0 0 0 0 0 0 4
*2017 Kentucky SEC JR LB 13 32 34 66 10.5 7.0 1 14 14.0 0 3 0 2
*2018 Kentucky SEC SR LB 13 56 32 88 21.5 17.0 0 0 0 4 2 5
Career Kentucky 121 99 220 42.0 31.5 1 14 14.0 0 8 2 11

Provided by CFB at Sports Reference: View Original Table
Generated 2/24/2019.

All that said, a good number of Allen’s 2018 sacks were the result of blocking mistakes and missed assignments, like this one, rather than sheer effort and ability from Allen.

The 6-foot-5, 260-pound Allen has a tremendous motor and could absolutely dominate his workouts at the NFL Scouting Combine. His hand movement isn’t the best, however, which could suggest he’ll have problems if locked up by decent blockers.

Plus, Allen was used more as a SAM linebacker at Kentucky, as opposed to a 4-3 end. He has some versatility, which could be something to monitor when the 49ers make their selection.

He won’t slip past the top five, barring a complete meltdown at the combine.