Oakland Raiders 7-round 2019 NFL mock draft 4.0

4. Josh Allen – Edge Rusher, Kentucky

With the Raiders choosing to address other areas of concern in free agency, they’ve now put themselves in a position where they may need to spend multiple early picks on edge rusher. Luckily for them, there are plenty of high caliber prospects to chose from at the top of the draft and amongst them is Kentucky’s Josh Allen.

Allen had a monster senior season recording 17 sacks, which helped earn him defensive player of the year in the SEC over Alabama’s Quinnen Williams. Physically there is nothing not to like about what Allen brings to the table. He has an explosive burst off the ball whether his hand is in the ground or he’s standing up which he then compliments his tremendous flexibility. Allen’s hand usage made a significant improvement this season, and despite being a senior, it appears he is nowhere near his ceiling which is pretty scary.

Allen’s most significant area of improvement will come in the run game, as he doesn’t have the necessary strength at the moment to consistently set the edge. However, he is not a total liability in the run game which will allow him to be a 3-down player right away. Allen is also athletic enough to drop in coverage when needed, so he provides the versatility you don’t always see from guys his size (6’4, 262 lbs). There is no scheme he should not be able to succeed in with good coaching, and he is precisely the kind of athletic playmaker the Raiders desperately need on their defensive line.