NFL Draft Mock 5.0: Two-round mock, post-free agency

If you ask me, Josh Allen isn’t all that he’s hyped up to be. But the Detroit Lions still can’t complain with him falling to No. 8.

The Lions, after letting Ezekiel Ansah walk in free agency, need to add another pass rushing presence on the outside. The Lions will have some semblance of a decision to make at No. 8 if they wish to go edge rusher. Brian Burns could very well be available here in Allen’s place, and Montez Sweat and Clelin Ferrell could win over Matt Patricia’s staff as well.

In this mock, however, Allen’s production wins over the Lions, and they take him, with the belief that they’ve grabbed a steal. Allen isn’t necessarily a steal at No. 8, but his does offer some impressive qualities.

Allen is perhaps the most productive edge rusher in this NFL Draft class, as he logged 17.0 sacks and 21.5 tackles for loss in his final season with the Kentucky Wildcats. For all his production, however, Allen lacks consistent elite traits. His burst, at its best, is explosive, but it doesn’t show up as often as you’d like. He’s not as long as Burns or Sweat, and he doesn’t showcase the functional strength or power that other edge rushers boast. His stats suggest that his tape is dominant, but I didn’t see the dominance or the stellar upside that people have spoken about.

That said, what Allen has going for him is his motor, and his well-rounded skill set. He might not have elite traits, but he doesn’t have any worrisome weaknesses either, and the traits that he flashed in spurts could be magnified under the tutelage of Matt Patricia.