Positional ranking: #1

Big Board ranking: #1

 

Overview

Position: EDGE/LB

College: Kentucky

Class: Junior

Age: 21

 

Measurables

Height: 6’4 7/8”

Weight: 262 lbs.

Arm length: 33 1/2”

Hand size: 8 3/4”

 

Athletic testing

40-yard dash: 4.63 sec.

Vertical jump: DNP

Broad jump: 118.0”

Bench press: 28 reps

3-cone drill: 7.15 sec.

Short shuttle: 4.23 sec.

 

Strengths

Unteachable combination of speed, bend, explosiveness, and length on the edge. Violent finisher. Quick first step. Flattens to the quarterback. Top-end pursuit. Attacks the ball to force fumbles. Great range as a tackler. Can get skinny. Has a plan as a pass rusher. Smooth and twitchy. Knows how to use subtle upper-body movements to his advantage. Versatility to be an off-ball linebacker. Comfortable in space and dropping in coverage. Effective blitzer. Very competitive. High football intelligence and character. Played in Kentucky’s bowl game and recorded 3.0 sacks against Penn State.

 

Weaknesses

Can struggle to disengage at the point of attack. Small hands could give him trouble against power.

 

NFL comparison

Clay Matthews – There isn’t a great comparison because Allen is such a unique player, but he brings similar versatility and violence to Matthews in his prime.

 

Conclusion

Overall, Josh Allen is a terror off the edge with a rare combination of key traits for a pass rusher. I like him best as a 3-4 outside linebacker, but Allen has the potential to be a game-wrecker at multiple positions in any scheme/system.