Josh Allen is a supremely talented and clearly flawed quarterback prospect, and heading into the combine some of the NFL believes the former outweighs the latter with the Wyoming quarterback.
Right now, it'd be surprising if Allen wasn't the first or second quarterback taken.
In this mock, I'm assuming Kirk Cousins lands with the Jets, and the Cardinals acquire a veteran quarterback via trade or in free agency ... which would leave the Broncos squarely in the signal-caller market come draft time.
Below is the current draft order, which is just a mere coin-flip away from being 100 percent set. Instead of awarding the 49ers the No. 9 overall pick, I flipped the script this time and gave that selection to the Raiders.
1. Cleveland Browns
Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma. The Browns already have their Josh Allen ... DeShone Kizer. Mayfield is much more polished than either of those two and should be able to start Week One.
2. New York Giants
Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming. Those with favorable opinions on Allen compare him to Cam Newton. Though new Giants GM Dave Gettleman didn't draft Newton, he spent many years with him in Carolina and signed him to the contract on which the enormous quarterback is currently playing.
3. Indianapolis Colts
Bradley Chubb, DE, NC State. Chubb isn't Myles Garrett from a freak athleticism angle. On the field, he's more refined than Garrett was last year, and the Colts are in dire need of a quality defensive end.
4. Arizona Cardinals (via mock trade)
Sam Darnold, QB, USC. Even with the expectation that the Cardinals sign a veteran, they get aggressive when they see Darnold fall out of the top three. At 20 years old with tremendous talent and a need for refinement, Darnold not being thrust into a starting role right away would be best for him.
5. Denver Broncos
Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA. If there's any GM who knows how it feels to be Rosen right now, it's John Elway. The clubs ahead of Denver would likely get bombarded with calls to get ahead of the Broncos to get the UCLA quarterback. With the Giants, Colts, and Browns staying put, he lands in Denver.
6. New York Jets
Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama. With Kirk Cousins at the helm, the Jets need to start adding serious offensive talent around him. Ridley is a sharp route-runner with good downfield speed.
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Minkah Fitzpatrick, DB, Alabama. Fitzpatrick is half cornerback, half safety and would give the Buccaneers precisely what their secondary needs -- length.
8. Chicago Bears
Tremaine Edmunds, LB, Virginia Tech. Edmunds doesn't read plays quickly. He is, however, extremely fast to the football and has the body to be a transcendent player at the linebacker position.
9. Oakland Raiders
Roquan Smith, LB, Georgia. Some clubs will view Smith as undersized. He's not ... particularly to play weakside linebacker where sideline-to-sideline speed and coverage ability are vital.
10. San Francisco 49ers
Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State. I just don't see Barkley going as early as some prognostications suggest at this point. This running back class is absolutely loaded. He'd be fantastic in San Francisco though.
11. Miami Dolphins
Quenton Nelson, OG, Notre Dame. The Dolphins need to upgrade their offensive front for whoever's playing quarterback in MIami next season. Nelson also adds value to the shifty and explosive Kenyan Drake.
12. Cincinnati Bengals
Mike McGlinchey, OT, Notre Dame. McGlinchey fills an immediate need for the Bengals at left tackle. His only struggles come against smaller, speed-rushers who can really dip around the edge.
13. Washington Redskins
Derwin James, S, Florida State. Safety is a major need for Washington. James can cover slot receivers, strike downhill against the run or as a blitzer, and his length and athleticism allow him to make plays all over the field.
14. Buffalo Bills (via mock trade)
Mason Rudolph, QB, Oklahoma State. The Bills don't want to risk the Ravens or Chargers picking a long-term solution at the quarterback spot less than 10 spots ahead of them. So Buffalo trades up with Green Bay, sending pick No. 21 and their second pick in Round 2 (No. 56) for the ability to land Rudolph, a big-bodied pocket passer with plenty of RPO experience.
15. Cleveland Browns (via mock trade)
Connor Williams, OT, Texas. The prudent path for the Browns is quarterback at No. 1 and an impact, high value prospect at No. 4. However, the trade back was too sweet to pass up. Williams is an immediately starter -- and game-changer -- at right tackle with a future on the left side. Cleveland gets this pick, No. 47 overall from Arizona, and the Cards' second third-round pick, No. 97 overall.
16. Baltimore Ravens
Orlando Brown, OT, Oklahoma. Derrius Guice will be in play here, yet the Ravens go offensive line and hope to land a running back in the second round. Brown is your classic Oklahoma offensive lineman with massive size and power.
17. Los Angeles Chargers
Da'Ron Payne, DT, Alabama. Quarterback isn't out of the question for Los Angeles with this selection. After considering finding Philip Rivers' future replacement, the Chargers decide to strengthen an already stout defense with Payne, a perfect inside compelment to Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram on the outside.
18. Seattle Seahawks
Joshua Jackson, CB, Iowa. Jackson is long, athletic, and tremendous in zone coverage, making him an exquisite fit in Seattle.
19. Dallas Cowboys
James Washington, WR, Oklahoma State. Another fantastic pairing, Washington gives the Cowboys the legitimate downfield threat they desperately need.
20. Detroit Lions
Derrius Guice, RB, LSU. The Lions could jump on a defensive linemen here, but instead go with Guice, to some a runner more refined than Barkley.
21. Green Bay Packers (via mock trade)
Will Hernandez, OG, UTEP. After the trade back, the Packers are ecstatic to land Hernandez, a mobile power blocker with a super-strong grip.
22. Buffalo Bills from Chiefs
Marcus Davenport, DE, UTSA. Jerry Hughes needs help on the outside of the Bills defense, and Davenport can bring pass-rushing production from Day One with his fun blend of speed, length, and counter moves.
23. Los Angeles Rams
Denzel Ward, CB, Ohio State. Even with Marcus Peters soon to be in the mix, the Rams look to continue to fortify their secondary with Ward, a smaller cover man with the twitchiness to lock down the slot.
24. Carolina Panthers
Courtland Sutton, WR, SMU. The Panthers like their wideouts to have massive size and to be dominant in contested-catch situations. Sutton checks both of those boxes.
25. Tennessee Titans
Vita Vea, DT, Washington. Tennessee should look to bolster its defensive front seven in Round 1, and Vea gives the Titans a versatile nose tackle with NFL-caliber strength.
26. Atlanta Falcons
Maurice Hurst, DT, Michigan. Hurst playing next to Grady Jarrett would provide the Falcons with one of the best young interior pass-rushing duos in football.
27. New Orleans Saints
Harold Landry, DE, Boston College. In a sub-package role to start his career, Landry can be an important piece to the Saints needs that still needs to generate more pressure from someone other than Cameron Jordan.
28. Pittsburgh Steelers
Rashaan Evans, LB, Alabama. Evans is a big-hitting Alabama linebacker with impressive movement skills. He's precisely what the Steelers defense needs.
29. Jacksonville Jaguars
Billy Price, OG/C, Ohio State. Jacksonville drafts Price to play guard next to quality center Brandon Linder. That combination will help Leonard Fournette on the ground.
30. Minnesota Vikings
Kolton Miller, OT, UCLA. Look for this spot as a soft landing for Lamar Jackson. If Minnesota doesn't pick the polarizing quarterback here, they could look for offensive line help, and Miller is a highly-athletic pass-blocking specialist.
31. New England Patriots
Mike Hughes, CB, UCF. Malcolm Butler is a free agent, and after the fiasco at the Super Bowl, we can expect he won't be back in New England. Hughes is an ultra-twitchy, aggressive cornerback who simply lacks size.
32. Philadelphia Eagles
Ronald Jones, RB, USC. With Darren Sproles and LeGarrette Blount set to hit the market, the Eagles could look for a home run hitter to pair with Jay Ayaji. Jones runs well between the tackles and has freakish acceleration through the second level.
