The 2018 NFL Draft was all about the quarterbacks and which signal-caller was going to hear their name called first.
Five quarterbacks were projected to go in the first round: Wyoming’s Josh Allen, UCLA’s Josh Rosen, USC’s Sam Darnold, Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield, and Louisville’s Lamar Jackson.
The Bills Take Josh Allen After Two QBs Go Before
The Cleveland Browns held the No. 1 pick after a 0-16 season and took Mayfield with their pick.
Mayfield played four seasons with the Browns before being traded to the Carolina Panthers in 2022, after Cleveland acquired Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson.
The New York Jets held the No. 3 overall pick and took Darnold, and just like Mayfield, the Jets quarterback didn’t have an extended stay in New York.
Darnold played three seasons for the Jets before heading to the Panthers after New York took BYU’s quarterback Zach Wilson with the No. 2 pick in 2021.
The Buffalo Bills selected at No. 7 and took one of the best quarterbacks in the league in Josh Allen.
Allen has been the best quarterback in the NFL, not named Patrick Mahomes, over the last five years and brought home his first-ever league MVP award last season.
The only quarterback that could rival Allen as the second-best quarterback in the NFL since 2020 is Lamar Jackson, who was taken with the 32nd pick by the Baltimore Ravens in 2018.
Jackson has two MVP awards, and if the 2018 NFL Draft were to be redone, the Browns would likely select either Allen or Jackson at No. 1.
Allen Goes To The Cleveland Browns In 2018 Redraft
Pro Football Focus published an article redrafting the 2018 NFL Draft based on PFF grades and has the Browns taking Allen.
“Mayfield certainly looked the part of a starting quarterback, even a franchise-caliber quarterback, in 2023 and 2024, but Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson would still be the choice here,” PFF wrote. “After earning PFF overall grades in the 60.0s in his first two seasons, Allen became the only quarterback since 2006 to earn five straight single-season marks above 90.0.”
It would’ve been interesting to see how Allen’s career would’ve turned out if the Browns had decided to draft him.
When Allen was coming out of Wyoming, he had accuracy and turnover issues, which were problems throughout his first few seasons in the NFL.
Allen was able to work with Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, now the New York Giants head coach, and refine his mechanics.
The Browns have been unable to find a suitable quarterback since their return in 1999, and there is a good chance they would’ve not been able to figure out Allen.
It’s a good thing the Bills drafted Allen, because he has been a treat to watch every week. If the Browns had drafted him, he may never have turned into the quarterback he is today.
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