Redskins 2019 NFL Draft top twenty edge rusher big board

For the entire offseason, Kentucky’s Josh Allen has been lauded as a top ten prospect in the 2019 NFL Draft. From a production standpoint, it’s easy to see why: Allen exploded in 2018, logging 17.0 sacks, 21.5 tackles for loss, and five forced fumbles over a thirteen-game span.

For many, production is the first destination, when judging prospects. That’s why Jaylon Ferguson is getting second-round hype. And that’s why Josh Allen is the No. 2 edge prospect on many boards. Sometimes, however, the traits on tape don’t quite match the numbers.

Allen underwent considerable development over the course of his 2018 season, and he enters the NFL as an ascending prospect, which is encouraging. But even in 2018, his game displayed some holes, and he wasn’t the consistently dominant player that his stats suggest he was.

Allen moves fairly well for his size, but is a stiff athlete, and can’t shrink his surface area very well. He’s still developing a sense of how to use his hands at the line; he has adequate length, but he lacks consistent play power, and he got moved back often in run defense.

Allen does show flashes of upside; although his burst is only average, he does have impressive acceleration around the edge, and if he can continue to refine his skill set, he can be a well-rounded edge rusher at the next level. But the hype train seems to have gone off the rails with Allen. He’s still a fairly raw edge rusher, and he doesn’t have otherworldly upside. Allen can be a very good starter if he keeps developing, but he’s not as much of a sure thing as it would seem.