With just over two weeks until the 2018 NFL Draft (April 26-28), rumored reports continue to swirl around this year’s highly-touted quarterback class, including Josh Allen, Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen, and Baker Mayfield. Where Allen will land, in particular, has been heavily speculated over the past several days. Here are the latest rumors surrounding the former University of Wyoming QB. Can he be the No. 1 pick? With the first and fourth overall draft picks, the Cleveland Browns are definitely doing their due diligence. According to NFL.com, they hosted quarterbacks Rosen, Darnold and Mayfield all last week and are slated to meet with Allen on Thursday.
Big evaluation week for the #Browns: Their local pro day is today, which will likely feature all the #OSU top prospects among others. On Thursday, #Wyoming QB Josh Allen visits, and #Louisville QB Lamar Jackson is scheduled for a visit Friday.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 9, 2018
Taking that a step further is sources with inside knowledge of the Browns telling the NFL Network that the struggling franchise, which went winless last season, is expected to make Allen the No. 1 pick of the 2018 draft.
Just now on NFL Network, @MoveTheSticks said that “people that know people inside the Browns” fully expect Josh Allen to be the pick at No.1.
— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) April 9, 2018
That being said, Cleveland.com says the Browns like Allen’s cannon arm, but that the 6-5, 233-pound QB’s accuracy (56.2 completion percentage in 2017) sparks concerns. And ESPN’s Todd McShay has the Browns selecting Darnold with the first overall pick and electric running back Saquon Barkley at No. 4 on his three-round mock draft, which was posted Tuesday morning.
Are The Giants And Jets Players For Allen?
An NFL talent evaluator recently told NJ.com that if Darnold is available that the Giants will take him with the second overall pick. And at least one outlet believes that the Jets will grab Allen at No. 3. Would Allen satiate Gang Green’s QB-hungry fan base, though?
Allen Visited The Broncos On Monday
Allen’s latest visit came Monday with the Denver Broncos, owners of the fifth overall draft pick. Whether they liked him enough to make him their draft selection remains to be seen, though. Possibly his cause is, according to the Broncos’ website, head coach Vance Joseph and his staff led the North Team that Allen played on in the Senior Bowl this past January. There, Allen worked with Broncos QBs coach Mike Sullivan and the team’s offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave. So, there’s some familiarity there.
Could The Cardinals Move Up To Steal Allen?
The Arizona Cardinals have the 15th overall pick in the draft and rumors about them being so enchanted with Allen that they’re willing to possibly move up to grab him continue to persist stemming from last month.
Several teams interested in Josh Allen, and moving up for him.
Count Arizona among them.
— Benjamin Allbright (@AllbrightNFL) March 14, 2018
Joel Klatt of Fox Sports: I hear that the Arizona Cardinals absolutely love Josh Allen.
— Johnny (@JohnnysFootball) March 28, 2018
The #Cardinals are very high on Josh Allen, as are a lot of teams, but ARZ would clearly have to give up quite a bit to move up and draft him.
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) April 9, 2018
Remember, the Cardinals signed Sam Bradford to a two-year deal worth up to $20 million in March. But with Bradford turning 31 this November owning an injury-riddled past, it’s easy to understand that Arizona still searching for its franchise QB is something in the Cards. (Pardon the pun). If the rumors are true, however, just how much is Arizona willing to give up to land Allen?
Are Patriots Ready To Make A Blockbuster?
Adam Schefter hinted at the time of the Brandin Cooks trade that there was a good chance the Patriots could move up in the draft to swipe a quarterback. What remains unclear is how far the Pats could move up. It would take an arm and a leg to get to where Allen is likely to be selected. For instance, last year the Chiefs traded the No. 27 pick, a third round pick and their own 2018 first rounder to the Bills just to get to pick No. 10 (where they took Patrick Mahomes).
It would be very un-Belichick-like to move multiple picks to move up for a sexy name – but then again we are in unchartered waters here with the Pats and Tom Brady past his 40th birthday.
The Patriots did have a scout at the Wyoming Pro Day in early March, but the official account is that they were taking a look at wide receiver Tanner Gentry.
Belichick’s favorite attribute about Brady over the years has been his accuracy, and Allen has been getting knocked for not being accurate enough. But many believe that the criticism of this attribute is overblown.
“You have got to find the holes in their game. Turnovers. Played at a small school. Didn’t get many starts. With any quarterback, you have got to identify what the holes are,” analyst and former QB Jordan Palmer told Cleveland’s 92.3 The Fan. “The analysts, the media, the scouts even, they don’t do the second part of it because it doesn’t matter. The coaches only do the second part of it and that is ‘can we fix this hole?’ If a guy played at a small school. If it’s Carston Wentz, played at a small school, and I don’t know if he can project to the league, that’s going to come down to the staff’s ability. Do they think he has what it takes to make that transition? Can they coach him through that?
“Accuracy issues come for different reasons,” Palmer said. “When I say this person has accuracy issues, I’m saying every single quarterback has missed throws, some more than others and for different reasons. I think Tom Brady misses throws a lot. With Josh Allen his misses come from a very simple mechanical thing.”
