Josh Allen, Quarterback, Wyoming
6’5, 222 Lbs, Junior, 4.6 40 Yard
3,202 Passing Yards, 28 Touchdowns, 15 Interceptions
No one has risen up draft boards faster than Josh Allen. He launched onto the scene as a top sleeper quarterback for the 2018 draft. He committed to Wyoming after being ranked the 5th best dual threat quarterback in the nation by 247Sports. Allen was still only a three star prospect.
In his two years starting for Firebaugh High School, Allen recorded over 5,200 passing yards. He also had 59 passing touchdowns to only 15 interceptions. Allen added 600 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. He shows the athletic ability of this then, three-sport athlete (Baseball, Basketball, and Football). Once he stepped on the scene at Laramie, he sat a season before throwing for over 3,200 yards with a 28/15 touchdown to interception ratio. The Cowboys finished the season 8-6. They lost in the Poinsettia Bowl against BYU 24-21. All but two of those losses were decided by three points or less.
The Tape
Allen can sling the ball, and is not afraid to test coverages. His ability to extend plays, and throw out of the pocket with extreme accuracy is reminiscent of Matthew Stafford. Something NFL teams will love about Allen is how well he performs under center. He has a gunslinger-type attitude which comes with its ups and downs.
The downside is he tends to try and make plays that just aren’t there. Allen can give up a simple check down for a 50 yard pass attempt. In one of his losses against UNLV, early in the 2nd quarter, Allen buys time by rolling out of the pocket. He then makes a hero ball pass from his 42-yard-line all the way to the opposing 7-yard-line.
Allen will also show off his arm a little too much on quick passes. He can make them so fast they are hard for a receiver to catch. Another example comes from the UNLV loss where in the third quarter the Cowboys try to expose a blown coverage, leaving the tight end wide open in the left hash markings. Allen puts too much zip on the ball. The tight end is forced to try and catch it awkwardly. The play was a wide open touchdown, but resulted in an incompletion. This play came in a game lost 69-66 in a triple-overtime thriller.
Possible Landing Spots: Top 8
Cleveland Browns – Deshone Kizer could be the quarterback Hue Jackson has been looking for. He could also flop. If Kizer does so, the Browns would look to bring in an elite level quarterback prospect to battle for the starting job in 2018.
New York Jets – The Jets are reshaping their roster. What better way to fill the stadium back up than drafting a gunslinger quarterback? Josh Allen will be right there for the taking if the Jets choose to. Nothing is more electrifying than a quarterback who loves to make the big play.
San Francisco 49ers – The 49ers had one of the better drafts this year, but still don’t make it out of the top eight. This will give them a chance at drafting Allen. There is a lot to be decided upon for new coach Kyle Shanahan. If they don’t want to go after Kirk Cousins in free agency, Josh Allen could be the perfect prospect for him to mold.
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