Nov 2, 2013; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans linebacker Denicos Allen (28) reacts to play during the 1st half of a game against the Michigan Wolverines at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
Round 6, Number 200 Overall: Denicos Allen, Outside Linebacker, Michigan State
And for the final pick of the mock draft I selected outside linebacker, Denicos Allen. The Chiefs were terribly exposed last year when both Houston and Hali went down with injury. It exposed their lack of depth at pass rush and with they style of defense that Bob Sutton coordinates, pass rushers are a crucial piece of the equation.
After back-to-back honorable mentions, including a monster 2011 in which he had 11 sacks and 18.5 tackles for loss, Allen showed consistency in earning second team All-Big Ten accolades by racking up 83 tackles, 15 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks during the regular season in 2013. Here’s what NFLDraftScout.com has to say about Allen,
"STRENGHTS– Excellent athlete who plays with downhill explosiveness. Very instinctive playmaker with three years of full-time starting experience for the Spartans. Natural ability in space, routinely diagnosing plays early, reads the quarterback and takes good angles to the ball."
Again, Allen is just depth at this point but has the upside to compete for a starting role. Here’s what they had to say about his weaknesses,
"WEAKNESSES– Short at just under 6-feet and may need to show he can add bulk without losing seed and quickness. Appears overmatched at times by bigger blockers. At times targeted by opponents leaving a running back or tight end to chip away on his edge rushes and blitzes."
He’s very undersized, but he could also use that to his advantage. Staying lower at the line of scrimmage with his height could help him to duck under larger blockers and if he develops good pass rushing skills, he could make an impact for the Chiefs defense.