Josh Allen is among the most polarizing quarterbacks in this year's draft. Some around the league are enamored with his rare physical skill set - especially his seemingly turbo-charged arm - while others question his severe lack of polish and poor accuracy.
Throughout the draft process, Allen has been mentioned alongside the likes of Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen, and Baker Mayfield as the top prospects at the position.
It was generally predicted, however, that Darnold and Rosen were the two quarterbacks most likely to be selected by the Cleveland Browns at the No. 1 overall slot prior to the combine.
And after Darnold seemingly blew away the Browns at his pro day, garnering special attention from team owner Jimmy Haslam, it appeared the former USC standout was a lock to be Cleveland's next potential savior.
Related: AFC exec convinced Browns will take Darnold 1st overall
But, could the Browns actually be using an elaborate smokescreen to hide their desire to take Allen instead?
A friend of Browns general manager John Dorsey told the MMQB's Peter King he believes Dorsey intends to select Allen over Darnold at the top of the draft and then target running back Saquon Barkley with the No. 4 overall pick, giving Cleveland its offensive core for potentially the next decade.
Furthermore, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport added Monday that he too has spoken to someone close to Dorsey about potentially drafting Allen, and they pointed to Dorsey's history of liking big-armed quarterbacks, from Brett Favre to Kansas City Chiefs 2017 first-rounder Patrick Mahomes.
Of course, at this stage of the offseason, rumblings should be taken with a grain of salt as teams try to manipulate the narratives to best suit their draft needs.
Still, with Tyrod Taylor already named the starter for the 2018 season regardless of which quarterback the Browns select, the raw Allen would have the chance to develop the nuances of the position on the bench before taking over - just as Mahomes did behind Alex Smith last season. Cleveland, therefore, could be willing to take a shot on him if they believe he has a higher upside than Darnold.
While Darnold is likely still favorite to land in Cleveland, it appears Allen is gaining momentum with just over three weeks to go until the Browns are officially on the clock.
