Josh Allen checks a lot of boxes for the Oakland Raiders at No. 4 overall
By Brad Weiss
The Oakland Raiders have added a lot of talent to their roster this offseason, but the edge rusher position has yet to improve after a dismal 2018 season.
So far this offseason, the Oakland Raiders have addressed a ton of issues with their current roster. To start, they revamped their wide receiver group, which was poor to say the least at the end of last season, as it was really only Jordy Nelson and a few guys who made a catch here and there.
To fix that need, the Raiders traded for Antonio Brown, and then signed both Tyrell Williams and J.J. Nelson via free agency.
Then, they went out and got a solid offensive tackle to team with Kolton Miller for the next four seasons at least. With holes in the secondary, and at linebacker, Oakland brought in solid veterans in Lamarcus Joyner from the Los Angeles Rams, and Vontaze Burfict from the Cincinnati Bengals.
Last season, Oakland’s No. 1 weakness was on the edge, where the team managed to get to the quarterback only 13 times, which was historically bad. It would seem that defensive end would be a priority heading into free agency, but it has mostly been ignored, as the team has only added Josh Mauro to the mix.
In fact, only Mauro and second-year edge rusher Arden Key currently dot the roster at the position, but at least they can actually field the position now.
In all seriousness, you have to believe that the Raiders will attack this position group in the 2019 NFL Draft, where they have four of the first 35 picks, including No. 4 overall. With that pick, guys like Nick Bosa and Josh Allen could be in play, although Allen is more likely to be available at that spot.
There was a huge contingency of Raiders personnel at Kentucky’s Pro Day on Thursday according to Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Journal-Review. That is a good sign that the Raiders plan to do the smart thing early in round one, and that could mean getting the best edge rusher available outside of Bosa.
For Allen, heading to the Raiders would be a perfect fit for not only the Silver and Black, but for him as well. He is cut from that same mold as Khalil Mack, and during his time at Kentucky, he was incredibly adept at getting after the quarterback.
After getting seven sacks in both his sophomore, and junior seasons, Allen exploded in 2018, bringing down the opposing quarterback an incredible 17 times. In his final game for the Wildcats, he harassed a very good Penn State offensive line in the team’s bowl game victory over the Nittany Lions.
Teaming Allen with Key next season, and for many seasons after that would be a solid tandem on the edge for this team moving forward. They both are high motor guys, and in Allen, the Raiders could be getting someone who will be a double-digit sack guy at the next level, even in year one.
The NFL Draft is a very exciting time, and new general manager Mike Mayock is a former draft analyst. He is going to make the most of his picks this April, and you have to believe that if Josh Allen is waiting for him at No. 4, that index card will be heading to the podium quickly.