Wyoming’s Josh Allen has become the draft’s biggest wild-card. Possessing ideal height and extraordinary physical ability, quarterback-needy NFL teams salivate at the possibility of drafting him. However, inaccuracy and limited play against top-flight competition is a concern, once that might even neutralize all the positives.
Allen’s pro day looked to alleviate the questions surrounding Allen, and in an interview with Les Shapiro, Doug Ottewill and Ronnie Kohrt of Mile High Sports AM 1340 | FM 104.7, NFL insider Benjamin Allbright, who was in attendance, suggested that few questions were answered about the draft’s mystery man.
“You’d see NFL scouts grimacing on some of [Allen’s] bad throws, and see them cheering on the good ones,” Allbright said. “They’re actively rooting for this kid; he’s a smart kid, he’s personable, he’s fun to be around, energetic, a leader… all those things.”
“The question is: can he play? He’s got all the tools in the world; it’s just a question of accuracy,” Allbright continued. “I think he started to shore a little of that up — but how much can you shore up when you’re throwing against the air?”
Allen’s arm strength is considered the best in this draft class, and Allbright said that it didn’t disappoint. “What everyone wanted to see was that bazooka, the cannon — showing it off and hitting a guy in stride — and he ended the throwing session doing that. On the run, mind you.”
While Allen’s ‘football IQ’ has been questioned, the Wyoming product’s pure smarts aren’t in dispute. “He’s very intelligent. I’ll tell you a story: up at the combine, the quarterbacks are not supposed to know who they’re interviewing with, or what order they’re interviewing in,” Allbright explained. “They use symbols on the door so you know which team’s which, and Josh Allen took it upon himself to go up there — through the hallways — before the interviews were done. He matched the symbols up with the teams — and then he passed it out to all the other quarterbacks. So if you want a guy that takes initiative and is intelligent, that’s him. The question is: does that translate on the field, where at times we saw ‘slow eyes’ [while] getting off that first and second read?”
Allbright felt that Allen proved enough to ensure that he’ll be selected in the top six selections of the draft. “There’s no ifs, ands or buts about that,” Allbright said.
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