Redskins Draft Jonathan Allen in Round 1

By Steve Thomas

The Washington Redskins drafted Alabama defensive lineman Jonathan Allen at pick 17 in round one of the 2017 draft Thursday night.  Allen was the top defensive lineman in the NCAA in 2016. He was unanimously selected as a 1st team All-American, and won nearly every major defensive award in 2016, including the Bronko Nagurski Award and the Chuck Bednarik Award, both presented to the best defensive player in the NCAA, and the Lombardi Award given to the best collegiate linebacker or lineman. Allen was the team captain of an historically great 2016 Alabama defense that played Clemson in the national championship game back in January.

Allen stands 6’3”, weighs 286 pounds, and hails from Leesburg, Virginia, having graduated from Stone Bridge High School in Ashburn, only five miles from Redskins Park.  He produced incredible numbers during four seasons with the Crimson Tide, with 152 total tackles and 28.5 sacks over 50 games.  Allen comes to a Redskins team desperate for defensive line help and joins incoming veterans Terrell McClain and Stacy McGee to form a new and improved nucleus.  Allen proved very versatile in college, at times lining up in every position along the defensive line.

Allen was originally projected to be a top 5 pick, but fell to the Redskins due to shoulder problems.  The Redskins medical evaluations were apparently clean enough to keep Allen on their board, and the team leadership doubtlessly viewed him as a “can’t miss” prospect at that point in round 1.  He is the 22nd Alabama player selected by the Redskins in team history.  Allen is also the first pure defensive lineman selected by the Redskins in the first round since Bobby Wilson in 1991.

This was the rare case where the team’s most glaring need and the best player available matched.  This is a home run pick for Washington.  We’ll have much more on Allen and all of the Redskins draft picks on the next episode of The Hog Sty and on www.thehogsty.com.