Mel Kiper’s latest mock draft puts Josh Allen in New York

The 2019 NFL Draft is officially less than a month away.

Not only will the Kentucky Wildcats have their first player drafted since 2016, but there will likely be 7-10 Wildcats selected, including one among the first overall selections.

The top pick being no other than edge rusher Josh Allen.

Allen recorded 17 sacks for Kentucky in 2018 boosting his draft stock into a guaranteed top-five pick. Throughout the offseason, Allen has been projected to go in the 2-4 range. Mel Kiper twice had him as the second overall pick of the San Francisco 49ers, but in his latest mock draft, he has Allen dropping one spot.

In Kiper’s mock draft 3.0, Allen is slated as the third overall pick of the New York Jets. Here’s what Kiper had to say about the projection.

This is simple: New defensive coordinator Gregg Williams says he’s sticking with a 3-4, and Allen is the best pass-rushing outside linebacker in the class. The Jets didn’t address the position in free agency -- they did spend a ton of money at inside linebacker with C.J. Mosley -- so this is a clear need. The 6-foot-5, 262-pound Allen had 17 sacks and five forced fumbles last season. It’s worth noting again that New York doesn’t have a second-round pick because of the Sam Darnold trade-up last year. This is an important selection for GM Mike Maccagnan.

The reason for Allen dropping isn’t due to anyone questioning his talent but rather the rumors speculating that the Arizona Cardinals will take Kyler Murray at number one overall, which would probably make Nick Bosa the pick for the 49ers.

As things stand now, the Jets, who badly need a pass rusher, make perfect sense for Allen who played his high school football in New Jersey. However, just this morning the Jets made it clear they may be willing to move down in the draft.

Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan told the New York Post’s Brian Costello that the Jets are “very open to potentially moving back from three.”

Thus, the Jets are surely a team to keep an eye on for Allen, but things could change if the Jets were to move down in the draft.