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It remains to be seen whether Josh Allen will be the first defensive player taken in the 2019 NFL draft. But no matter where he's selected on April 25th, if the University of Kentucky product ultimately lives up to his pre-draft goal, he'll certainly have proven worthy of being the No. 1 overall pick.
Allen, considered by some of the best prospect in a 2019 class loaded with elite defenders, told ESPN.com's Rich Cimini that one of his ambitions is to follow in the footsteps of Khalil Mack, with whom he shares an agent, as a largely-anonymous collegian who develops into one of the NFL's best players. The former two-star recruit doesn't just want to be as good as the Chicago Bears superstar, though — Allen wants to be even better.
Article Continues Below“That's a goal of mine,” he said . “[Mack is] a great player, and I also want to be a great player. I want to learn from him. I also want to be my own player. At the end of the day, I want to make my own legacy. He's already solidified himself as one of the best players ever, I believe. When my time comes in the NFL, when my moment happens, I hope it can be a breakout one.”
Allen, at 6-foot-5, 259 pounds, boasts overall physical tools that one defensive coach in the NFC told ESPN are superior to Mack's at the same stage. He was undeniably productive during his time in Lexington, too, finishing with 88 tackles, 17 sacks, and five forced fumbles last season en route to winning the Bronco Nagurski award as the country's top defensive player.
Allen, like Ohio State's Nick Bosa and Alabama's Quinnen WIlliams, has already had a pre-draft meeting with the San Francisco 49ers, who hold the No. 2 overall pick in the draft.
