Round 1, Pick 4: Josh Allen, EDGE, Kentucky
With the fourth pick in the NFL Draft, the Raiders land the elite pass rusher that they have missed since trading Khalil Mack to the Chicago Bears in Josh Allen from the University of Kentucky. With a flurry of teams expected to jump into the top five and snag quarterbacks Kyler Murray and Dwayne Haskins, the Raiders should have one elite pass rusher of Allen, Nick Bosa, or Quinnen Williams fall in their lap; here it is Allen and Oakland does not hesitate to make him a Raider.
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While many thought that Louisiana State linebacker Devin White could be the pick here, the Raiders have signed free agent linebackers Vontaze Burfict and Brandon Marshall, all but eliminating that potential. Pass rusher is one of the only positions that the Raiders have not addressed in free agency, so the pick of Allen makes too much sense for the team that was dead last in the league in sacks last season.
A top-five lock, Allen was the 2018 SEC Defensive Player of the year, and found himself in position to turn down an invitation to the Senior Bowl after seeing his draft stock take a massive rise. All he did at the combine was prove to NFL scouts and general managers that he is an elite prospect that their teams should covet.
The Raiders snag him here with the fourth pick, a pivotal selection for the future of the defense and the franchise as a whole.