2019 NFL mock draft: Mel Kiper Jr. has 49ers picking Josh Allen at No. 2 originally appeared on nbcsportsbayarea.com
Kyle Shanahan and the rest of his 49ers coaching staff won’t have the opportunity of working with edge rusher Josh Allen in the Senior Bowl anymore, but that doesn’t matter to ESPN NFL draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr.
In his first mock draft of 2019, Kiper has the 49ers selecting Allen with the No. 2 overall pick. Here’s why he believes the former Kentucky Wildcat is the perfect fit for San Francisco:
If you’re talking about pure pass-rushing ability, the 6-foot-7, 230-pound Allen is right up there with [Nick] Bosa.
The 49ers selected defensive linemen in three straight years from 2015 to 2017 — Arik Armstead, DeForest Buckner and Solomon Thomas — but none of those players get after the quarterback like Allen, who can play outside linebacker as well.
As a senior, Allen had 17 sacks, including three in a dominant bowl game performanceagainst Penn State.
In the 2018 regular season, the 49ers ranked 15th in the NFL with 37 sacks, but 12 of those came from Buckner.
Allen was a consensus All-America selection, as well as the SEC’s Defensive Player of the Year, Chuck Bednarik Award winner, and Bronko Nagurski Award winner. He was also chosen as the winner of the Ronnie Lott IMPACT Trophy, which takes into account on-field and off-field excellence.
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