Expert Opinion: Josh Allen’s Profile
Unless you live under a rock on another continent, you already know who Josh Allen is and can probably spew his college completion percentages by the season. I have a confession to make. We had another writer ready to write this article, but he had a family situation to tend to. I know what he would have written and I will be going in a diametrically-opposed direction.
No one needs me to talk much about Josh Allen the Wyoming quarterback. His college career is what it is. The numbers aren’t great, especially those from the 2017 season. Is that all on Allen? I don’t think so. The Cowboys lost a lot of talent following the 2016 season. Allen could have done better, but football is a team sport.
What we really want to know is whether Josh Allen is a good pro prospect. How many boxes does he check? What’s his ceiling and his floor? This is where you can mentally scratch the word “expert” from the title of this article. In my opinion, Allen has both the highest ceiling and the lowest floor among the top four quarterbacks in this draft. If you want to check boxes, the top signal-callers all check nearly every box you can come up with.
Of course, the ding on Josh Allen is his accuracy. Yes, his completion percentage is not what we would like to see. I believe it can be improved. I know many will disagree, but he must learn to control the weaponry that is known as his right arm. It’s the equivalent of handing a teenager a howitzer and expecting him to be able to handle it. The arm talent is off the charts.
Aside from running a little funny when he isn’t carrying a football, Allen is very athletic. He has great size and mobility. He’s taken many snaps from under center in a pro-style defense and his quick release has been compared to Tom Brady’s when clocked.
Josh Allen is undoubtedly the most polarizing player in this draft class. He possesses tantalizing physical tools, but in order to be a success in the NFL, he needs to be handled properly. He will need time, great coaching, a playbook tailored to his strengths and the patience of the team and the fans.
Does Josh Allen fit in Cleveland? Of course, he does. He’s a potential franchise QB. Clearly, he’s not the only or the safest choice for the Browns.
When you’re looking for a franchise QB, you have to take your shot. If the front office believes Josh Allen is the best of the quarterbacks in the draft, they should take him. Contrary to popular belief, it isn’t worth changing your NFL allegiance based on the quarterback the Browns take. We’ll all need to be patient regardless of whom the Browns draft.
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