Oakland Raiders: A Few Possible First Round Draft Targets

Jonathan Allen (DT)

And speaking of Jonathan Allen, given that he’s widely considered the best defensive tackle in the Draft, McKenzie and the Raiders would be foolish to pass on him if he’s there at twenty-four.

But of course, that’s the rub – will he be available at twenty-four?

The smart money says, probably not. But again, stranger things have happened. With the amount of jockeying and horse trading that goes on, it wouldn’t be surprising to see teams with more pressing needs ahead of Oakland pass on Allen, freeing him up to join the Silver and Black.

Of course, it’s nothing you can bank on, but if he’s there, you have to take this guy, right?

At 6’3”, 286 lbs., he’s shorter but heavier than Malik McDowell. But he’s also explosive getting off the ball, is insanely athletic, can hand fight with the best of them, and has already developed a few effective pass rushing moves.

He’s put up big numbers on what was college football’s best defense last year, and as a result of his efforts, he took home both the Bronco Nagurski and Chuck Bednarik awards. For the year, he racked up 69 tackles – 16 of them for a loss – and also led the Crimson Tide with 10.5 sacks.

The biggest concern from scouts so far, seems to be his size. He’s not the biggest guy to play defensive tackle and may need to bulk up a little more to avoid being pushed around by bigger offensive lineman.

But if that’s the biggest “flaw” in his game, the Raiders might do well to snag him should he be available when they’re on the clock.