On Thursday the Jaguars landed a premium talent in edge rusher Josh Allen. Few thought the Kentucky product would still be on the board at seven, but reaches by the Raiders and Giants saw a couple of big-time defensive lineman fall into the bottom half of the top ten. Given a night to digest the pick, I've decided to come out with a way-too-early grade for the Jaguars first round. Draft pick grading won't truly be complete until a couple of years down the road, but here's my immediate reaction. Grade: A Josh Allen was, at minimum, a top-five talent in this draft class at a premium position. So landing him at seven is a home run. The SEC's defensive player of the year in 2018, Allen took down opposing QBs 17 times in 2018 and is better against the run than you might imagine. He's got pass coverage skill to boot.
Allen will fit in well in Jacksonville. He's a high-motor, high character player that's self-motivated. Once a two-star recruit, Allen plays with a chip on his shoulder. He'll take over Dante Fowler's former role as a pass rush specialist, but brings plenty of versatility. The Jaguars should get creative with how they deploy 6'5'', 262 lb. defender. I honestly didn't think it was possible that Allen could fall all the way to seven, so I never actually pondered whether or not the Jaguars would or should take him. The only way the Jaguars could have received a better grade in my book is if they were able to trade down, acquiring an extra pick, and still land a premium talent. How would you grade the Jaguars first round pick? Let us know in the comments below! |
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