“What I bring is a winning atmosphere, winning attitude, a leader, a guy who’s going to bust his butt every play, a guy who’s looking to come in and make an immediate impact in a positive way,” Allen said. “Like I said, I’m going to control what I can control. But the competitor in me wants to be the first [pick], but I’m also going to go out there and work toward it.”

This is the NFL’s environment at work. The current discussion centers on points, catches and 300-yard passing games, but three of the past four Super Bowls have been won by a team that finished the season No. 1 in either total defense or scoring defense — or both.

Even McKinley, who said he will have surgery on his right shoulder Monday after he leaves the combine, sent the same message to coaches and general managers.

“Once I get healthy, once I get the right technique, the right coaching, I feel like for years to come I’ll be one of the best pass-rushers in the NFL,” he said. “…All my interviews are going great — they like me as a person, they especially like me as a player.”