Overview
Position: Quarterback
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 233 pounds
School: Wyoming Cowboys
Combine Performance Data
40-yard dash: 4.75 seconds (third among quarterbacks)
Vertical jump: 33.5 inches (best among quarterbacks)
Broad jump: 9 feet, 11 inches (best among quarterbacks)
Three-cone drill: 6.90 seconds (second among quarterbacks)
20-yard shuttle: 4.40 seconds
Josh Allen 2018 NFL Draft Profile
Josh Allen‘s journey to potential first-round pick in the NFL Draft is unique in its own right. It’s certainly in stark contrast to some of the other quarterback prospects in this year’s class. Allen wasn’t heavily recruited out of high school. In fact, he didn’t receive a single scholarship offer of any kind from a Division I school. It led to him initially playing a season of junior college football at Reedley Community College in 2014.
He then came onto the radar of Wyoming head coach Craig Bohl. Just a few years removed from winning three straight FCS titles with North Dakota State, Bohl saw a little Carson Wentz in Allen and gave him a scholarship. Though he sat behind Cameron Coffman during his first season in Laramie, Allen took the reins in 2016. Over the next two seasons, the Cowboys offense never looked back.
His first go-around as the starter saw Wyoming emerge as a player in the Mountain West title race. Allen led the conference with 28 touchdown passes as the team won eight regular season games for just the second time since 2000. They also made their first-ever appearance in the league title game where they narrowly lost to San Diego State. A year later, Allen suffered a shoulder injury 10 games into the season but did cap his college career off well with a win in the Cowboys’ bowl game against Central Michigan.
Strengths
- prototypical NFL size for a player at the position;
- proverbial cannon for an arm;
- experience in a pro-style offense and setting up under center;
- showcases noticeable accuracy when throwing on the run;
- able to fire the ball into tight windows;
- can make a wide range of throws;
- will keep safeties honest in run support, opening up space for the ground game;
- has no problem extending plays with his legs;
- powerful lower body enables him to shed defenders and avoid sacks;
Weaknesses
- threw a combined one touchdown and eight interceptions in his three games against Power Five opposition;
- decision making can be rash at times;
- tends to do too much and must learn to throw the ball away in certain situations;
- could improve ability to anticipate where pockets of space develop downfield;
- might need to incorporate more finesse in his throws instead of relying on sheer velocity;
- 56.2 percent completion percentage over his two years as starter;
- durability a concern as he suffered a broken clavicle and sprained AC joint in college.
NFL Comparison: Blake Bortles
Teams With Need at Position: Arizona Cardinals, Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos, New York Jets
Projection: first round
Bottom Line
Allen certainly boasts myriad characteristics that NFL teams covet at the quarterback position. His frame, arm strength, and exposure to pro-style concepts make him a unique and intriguing prospect. Perhaps the biggest concern moving forward is can he improve his completion percentage numbers which were pedestrian at best while at Wyoming. He also needs to become a better decision maker and less of a freelancer which disciplined NFL defenses will pounce on. Overall, Allen’s path to the draft is one of intense self-belief in the face of so few giving him a chance to succeed as a football player. That in and of itself is something that’ll help him in making waves at the next level.
