The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Allen has ‘no idea’ where he will be drafted
LARAMIE, WYO. — Cleveland general manager John Dorsey has remained tight-lipped about who the Browns will select first overall in next week’s NFL draft, and it appears that extends to more than just the media. Former Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen, considered to be a strong possibility for the Browns at No. 1, said he doesn’t know where he’s going to be drafted, either.
“I have no idea,” he said. “I wish I did.”
Wherever he ends up, the next week should bring some closure to a lengthy process for the former Cowboy. Allen came close to leaving Wyoming for the NFL after his breakout sophomore campaign in 2016. Under increased scrutiny, his stats dipped as a junior and his list of critics started to grow.
But over the last two months of the season, he began an upward trajectory that seems to have continued until now. Though his completion percentage remained below 60, a factoid that has become the signature knock on Allen, he looked more comfortable as the 2017 season progressed — albeit with the hiccup of a shoulder sprain. During his final four starts, he accounted for 10 total touchdowns with no interceptions and Wyoming won every game.
“As a team, we started to grow,” Allen said. “Playing with a lot of younger guys, I think we were starting to get a hang of it. And something just clicked within us. The last four, five games that I played were all really good games. We were starting to find ourself as an offense and understanding what we could and couldn’t do, and we were taking advantage of the opportunities that we had.
“Going back to that (Nov. 11) Air Force game, we started
off really solid, scoring I think on our first three drives, and when our defense was playing as well as they did, it was hard for us as an offense when we were getting the ball on their half of the field not to score.”
Allen hasn’t shied away from the microscope in preparing for the draft. He returned from his injury to lead Wyoming to a win in the Potato Bowl, despite a growing trend among top prospects to skip bowl games and avoid risking injury. Allen logged significant minutes in the Reese’s Senior Bowl, where Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield played just two series, and was named his team’s Most Outstanding Player. Allen also fully participated at the NFL Combine, including the throwing
session, which USC’s Sam Darnold skipped. Allen also drew positive reviews after his Pro Day in Laramie.
“The mentality was to come in here and try to win the entire process,” Allen said. “We broke it down into three or four stages, me and (quarterbacks coach) Jordan Palmer. The Senior Bowl was first, and I think we aced that test. Then it was the Combine, and we aced that. Then it was the private workouts and Pro Day. Throughout the entire process, I just had a really good support cast around me.”
Lately, Allen has had team meetings to keep him busy.
“They’ve been going well,” he said. “I was on the road literally for two and a half weeks, hit seven different spots. Coaching staffs were great. Every team that I met
with, I could see myself playing for them.”
Allen is part of a quartet of quarterbacks that are expected to be drafted in the top portion of the first round, along with Darnold, Mayfield and UCLA’s Josh Rosen. Allen is living and training with Darnold and got to know Mayfield at the Senior Bowl.
“I haven’t spent much time with Rosen,” Allen said, “but from what I’ve heard from everybody, he’s a good dude, too. He’s never rubbed me the wrong way. I think most importantly, I just want the best for everybody in this draft class. It would be great for this to go down as one of the greatest draft classes in history, and to be a part of that would be pretty awesome. But yeah, as much success as possible for them,
unless they’re playing me.”
That chip on Allen’s shoulder is certainly nothing new. He has long been vocal about motivating himself with the fact that most schools didn’t want him out of high school or junior college.
If he is selected first overall Thursday, however, he’ll find himself in the exact opposite situation.
“I was actually talking to a couple coaches about this,” Allen said. “Obviously, I think there’s going to be enough ammunition in the media for me to have that chip. But then, being the competitor that I am, I can look at teams and say, ‘Well, you didn’t try to trade up for me.’ So that’s what I’m going to do and go out and try to beat you because of that.
“But I’m always going to have the same chip on my shoulder, going back to high school and junior college of nobody wanted me three, four, years ago. So I think I’ve obviously been helped out a lot along the way. I’ve had a lot of good support, and I’ve been blessed to be in the position that I’m in now.”
Here are some more thoughts from Allen as the big day approaches:
On what it’s like to have put Wyoming athletics on the national stage: “It was really cool, getting a chance to go through Wyoming . ... It’s the only four-year institute in the state. Anywhere you go in the state, it’s all for Cowboy football and Cowboy athletics, for that matter. So, just knowing that I went there and did what I was supposed to do, people will hopefully remember what I did for the university. Hopefully it’s all good things.”
On concerns teams might have about him handling the media in New York: “I don’t think it’s going to be an issue at all, and I think people kind of have that preconceived notion of a smalltown school coming to a big market. I understand what comes along with the media. I think I’ve been doing this at least long enough to understand what people are trying to get out of me and the reactions that they want to see for fans. But staying cool, calm and collected is what I’ve always been preached, and I think that’s what I’m going to keep doing.”
On potentially ending up in Cleveland alongside Wyoming basketball legend Larry Nance Jr.: “We’ve talked about some things. I think going back to one of the Lakers games that I saw him in, I got to go down and speak with him. He’s a really good dude. I really like Larry, and hopefully they can keep winning in the playoffs. I would love to see him get a championship ring.”