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Buffalo Bills backers will say Josh Allen is the best quarterback in the NFL.
But what do those in the league say?
They’re not far off from one another, per ESPN. Surveying more than 50 league executives, coaches, scouts and players, the former world-wide leader helped us name the 10 best at each spot on the field according to those in the game.
Allen slotted in at the No. 3 overall spot.
Here’s what ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler wrote on Allen:
Allen slightly edged Tampa Bay’s Tom Brady for the third spot, and many broke the tie based on this thinking: If building a team and playing in 2022, Allen helps you win in more ways than one.
“You could argue he’s a top-five player in the league right now,” an NFL personnel evaluator said. “He’s incredibly tough, and his ability to run and throw is a problem.”
Much has been made of Allen’s improved accuracy, with his completion percentage rising from 52.8% in Year 1 to 69.2% in Year 3. Yes, that’s a credit to Allen’s continued development into one of the game’s elite passers. But as multiple NFL offensive coaches indicated, Buffalo also did everything right around him, from Stefon Diggs winning his matchups to offensive coordinator Brian Daboll’s system pumping out easy completions.
The concern surrounding Allen is the number 422 — his rushing attempts since entering the league in 2018, including 122 rushes last season. That Allen’s 6-foot-5, 240-pound frame can handle the pounding of that rushing workload is a blessing and a curse.
“You worry about him staying healthy,” an NFL personnel official said. “They run him a lot — and off designed runs too. All it takes is the wrong shot and he’s out a while. He’s such a great athlete and so big and strong that I get why they do it.”
The final top-10 spots in the poll are based on average grade from those surveyed in the NFL. While Allen ended up at No. 3, ESPN does confirm that some did put him in first.
Just not as many as Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes. The Green Bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs QBs, respectively, are the only two placed higher than Allen.
While seeing Buffalo’s bitter postseason rival of recent years, Mahomes, ahead of Allen, there is a nice nugget remaining. Who is in fourth? Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB and former member of the New England Patriots, Tom Brady.
Rounding out the top-five ratings is the Cincinnati Bengals’ Joe Burrow.
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