According to franchise general manager Brandon Beane, Josh Allen, the quarterback for the Buffalo Bills, could not help but succumb to “Draft Season,” finishing “200 mock drafts” in the run-up to the 2024 NFL Draft.
The best way to describe the build-up to the annual NFL Draft is probably as a growing wave, an unstoppable force that engulfs everything in its path and culminates in an extravagant three-day event that is watched by millions on television and attended by hundreds of thousands of people. The period of anticipation, also referred to as “Draft Season,” is filled with fan-conducted mock drafts, social media “takes,” and tape searching. No football fan—or, in this case, professional quarterback—is spared.
Josh Allen, the signal-caller for the Buffalo Bills, is not immune to the pain of “Draft Season,” as general manager Brandon Beane claims that he too spent the months preceding the 2024 NFL Draft mock drafts, filling the roster with players he liked. Beane recently shared his happiness with his quarterback’s talent recognition on The Pat McAfee Show. The sole problem? On day three, Allen was choosing players with grades in the first and second rounds.
Beane informed McAfee, “He loves the process, but he doesn’t want to [be a GM].” He approves of the rough draft. I promise that the man has completed 200 drafts in mockups, and he will forward me his final count of our draft. “Hey Beane, I got us these guys with that, but I traded next year’s [second round pick].” And when you look at it, you’ll see that the first four selections are all males who rank in the top 50 on our board. Like, “Josh, this isn’t how life works.” I’m very glad he like it. It’s enjoyable.
Even while Beane wasn’t prepared to give Allen complete control over team building, he did confer with his franchise center during this year’s scouting process. Given the offseason departures of Stefon Diggs and Gabriel Davis (who combined for 1,929 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns last season), Beane knew he was going to choose a wide receiver with a high-value draft choice. So, he included Allen in his pass-catcher scouting and asked his quarterback to watch tape of a number of receivers the team was interested in. A few candidates received Allen’s endorsement, including Florida State wide receiver Keon Coleman. In the end, Buffalo would choose the Seminole with the 33rd overall pick in the NFL Draft of 2024.
Beane remarked, “We’d be foolish not to hear some of his opinions on things.” “We gave him some individuals, and he sat down with a couple of our coaches, knowing that we would probably look at receiver in the first several rounds of the draft. One day, I happened to stroll in, and we had a brief conversation about his taste in women. Why does he appeal to you? Tell us what you know, please. He offered his opinion. To his credit, he is also aware that he is not the only person who knows everything about each athlete.
He clearly liked some individuals, and one of them was Keon. “I’d be fired up if that was one of the guys we got,” he said. He says, “Hey, what are you thinking?” and he’s from the driving range. It’s Friday morning. “I’d like to be where you are, but we’re going to take Keon unless somebody blows us away [with a trade offer],” I remarked. That was cool, in his opinion. He was energised.
Shortly after the selection card’s ink had dried, Allen texted Coleman to let him know he was excited to be joining his new team and to welcome him to the City of Good Neighbors.
Coleman informed the press last weekend at his inaugural news conference, “He texted me the day of.” “It felt like you were the guy I had my eye on.” I want to play with you after watching a lot of receivers. “I’ve been saying the same thing,” I thought to myself. I’d like to go play with the person wearing number 17. He’s a fantastic quarterback—among the greatest in the league at the moment, in my opinion. If only I could be receiving passes from him. I’m prepared for it.
Coleman, a former transfer from Michigan State who previously played collegiate basketball for the Seminoles under the tutelage of famed coach Tom Izzo, caught 50 catches for 658 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2017. For the most part, he was seen as one of the more high-risk, high-reward pass-catchers selected in this year’s draft; a flexible ball of intangibles, he may thrive in the right environment. With his huge ball skills and “go up and get it” ability, the 6-foot-3, 213-pound wideout makes up for a lack of technical and route-running refinement. Given his youth (he’s only 20 years old) and athletic profile, there’s reason to believe that Beane, Allen, and company can shape him into whatever they’d like him to be. Coleman will make his on-field debut for Buffalo supporters when the team’s rookie minicamp begins the following week.
Leave a Reply