Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen lags behind in QB rankings after NFL Draft

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen’s journey from controversial and largely questionable draft to objective NFL superstar has been well-documented, a winding, but never uninteresting, path on which the signal-caller has evolved from a trait-sy, but crude smuggler with a cannon. for an arm and accuracy issues in a destructive player like we haven’t really seen in the NFL before.

Allen’s preternatural arm talent, elite athleticism, and disregard for personal safety make him a completely unique quarterback, a unique player who, while not necessarily the best NFL signal-caller, is certainly one of its most talented players.

Allen’s rise to national prominence has earned him several awards and honors, his four consecutive seasons with more than 40 total touchdowns earning him two Pro Bowl nominations and NFL MVP votes in multiple seasons. He is almost universally regarded as one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, regularly appearing at the top of the national signal-caller rankings.

He’s expected to be near the top of a recent quarterback rankings from CBS Sports writer Cody Benjamin, which places the 27-year-old at No. 3 on his list behind the triple Kansas City Chiefs passer Patrick Mahomes… and San. Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy.

You didn’t read it wrong.

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Benjamin was generally complimentary of Allen in his analysis, writing, “Allen was already a one-man ride on a roller coaster, and things could get tougher in Buffalo with the replacement of virtually the entire receiving corps.” But he’s a perennial MVP guy because of Superman’s skills. If anyone can deal with a rocket arm and bruised legs, it’s him.

There’s no problem with Mahomes edging out Allen: Kansas City’s quarterback is objectively better. His arm talent is equal to or greater than Allen’s, as is his ability to “make something out of nothing.” Mahomes’ stats and accolades are also much stronger; Anyone who claims that the three-time Super Bowl champion and two-time NFL MVP isn’t the best quarterback in the league is simply willfully ignorant.

Purdy, however, is a bit more of a head-scratching choice. His resume, of course, is strong; he exceeded all expectations generally associated with “Mr.” “Irrelevant” over the past two seasons, completing 68.7 percent of his passes for 5,654 yards, 44 touchdowns and 15 interceptions while taking the 49ers to Super Bowl LVIII.

Benjamin writes the following about the former Iowa State Hawkeye:

“Let’s give this child the respect he deserves,” the analyst wrote. “Two seasons, two NFC title games, one valiant Super Bowl effort. Does he have a strong setup in San Francisco? Yeah. Does he operate like a 10-year veteran, managing the pocket like a gunslinger who is both efficient and mobile? Yes too.

The analysis is correct; Purdy certainly runs San Francisco’s offense well and he has led the team to back-to-back NFC Championship appearances. However, the “sterling configuration” mentioned by Benjamin cannot be overstated; Purdy is surrounded in the 49ers offense by Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk, a trio of playmakers that any quarterback in the league would move mountains for.

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And that’s not to mention San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan, whose offensive scheme has made Matt Ryan an MVP and Jimmy Garoppolo a competent starter. Shanahan’s offense is notoriously quarterback-friendly, essentially asking his passers to quickly identify the right read and make the necessary play.

This is not necessarily an easy task, and Purdy, to his credit, performs it well; but is he a better quarterback than Josh Allen? Is he a better passer than the player who can and does throw 70-yard bombs at will? Does Purdy give the median football team a better chance of winning than Allen?

The answer is probably no, and it’s probably not a controversial opinion. Either way, there’s no shame in being ranked among the top three signal-callers in the league. Allen will look to move up (slightly) in the national rankings with another strong statistical outing during the 2024 NFL season.