Josh Allen to the Cardinals, Nick Bosa to the 49ers in latest CBS Sports mock draft

Provided the Arizona Cardinals stay at the number one spot in the draft, the two picks that we’ll be seeing tossed around the most are are Alabama defensive tackle Quinnen Williams and Ohio State defensive end Nick Bosa. Williams fulfills a position of need while Bosa upgrades an already decent area for the team and is the consensus best player overall at the moment.

This scenario, of course, leaves the 49ers with either of who the Cardinals don’t pick along with a shot at Kentucky linebacker Josh Allen. Bosa and Allen fill the area of need while Williams may be an upgrade at the defensive tackle position. But what if Josh Allen was picked before the 49ers? Chris Trapasso at CBS Sports put together a mock draft with the Cardinals taking Allen first. As you might expect with Allen off the board, the 49ers then take Nick Bosa with the number 2 pick.

The Allen pick, as Trapasso points out, is consistent with Cardinals general manager Steve Keim’s statement that the Cardinals will return to a 3-4 defense. If that’s the case, Allen would be used as an outside linebacker—perfect for that system.

Here’s what Trapasso said about the 49ers getting Bosa here:

Based on reaction from 49ers Twitter to my mocks each week, Bosa is the overwhelming favorite among fans at No. 2 overall. Despite plenty of first-round investment along the defensive line of late, San Francisco does need a pure, alpha edge-rusher.

This is a scenario that could happen. While I do like Josh Allen’s versatility in a 4-3 defense for disguising purposes, he’d thrive in a 3-4. Bosa could work in a 3-4, but I fear it could be akin to a Tank Carradine-like situation where he may be playing out of position. To get the most out of Bosa, I think a 4-3 is better suited for him.

So what happens to Williams? He goes to the New York Jets. All three of the best players in the draft are gone in the first three picks, just the first one to go isn’t who you may expect.

Do you see the Cardinals looking into Josh Allen to help make the change to a 3-4?