Bills Mafia was far from happy when Buffalo selected Josh Allen seventh overall in the 2018 NFL Draft. “Hate” might be a strong word, but the skepticism was loud and clear as the pick was announced live from AT&T Stadium. Many of them preferred Lamar Jackson or even Baker Mayfield. After all, they were more polished passers.
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And in the offseason, the Bills had just moved on from Tyrod Taylor after three seasons of the league’s worst passing offense (191.8 yards per game) as well. So, why take a gamble on a raw prospect instead of a surefire upgrade?
After a brutal rookie season — putting it mildly — the criticism only intensified. At 6’5″ and 237 pounds, some fans even joked Allen’d make a better tight end than quarterback. He couldn’t even hit a slant route, they said. But fast forward six or seven years, and the narrative has completely flipped. The same Pro Day performance that once drew hate is now a badge of pride for the Bills Mafia.
A resurfaced clip of Allen throwing an 80-yard bomb at his Pro Day has been making the rounds again — the same kind of throw we now see from him weekly during the regular season. But realizing he had that arm talent all along was a reassuring sight for most netizens.
Flocking to the comment, one fan wrote, “He’s got a canon,” while another screamed, “Incompletion.”
Yes, the pass wasn’t caught, and some fans made sure to point that out. “Maybe throw it 70 yards so Bruh could catch it,” they wrote.
Even the commentator wasn’t overly impressed, saying, “It still went 80-yards or whatever, but it didn’t come out clean.”
Still, there was no denying the sheer power behind the bomb throw. “He was always him. Not everyone saw it,” one netizen wrote.
He was always him. Not everyone saw it.
— Depressed Eagles Fan (@nfl_rocky) March 29, 2025
One historian had a theory that might explain why Allen fell to the seventh pick: “His one racist tweet from when he was 6 was really the only reason he fell so far.”
What was this user talking about? On draft day, a few old high school tweets from the quarterback, filled with racial and homophobic slurs, resurfaced online. Some still wonder if that was the reason Allen slid down the board, as he was considered a surefire first overall pick for a while.
Adam Schefter was one of those who quoted a “personal director” a year before the 2018 draft, saying Allen would be the first pick. Mel Kiper also predicted that the Cleveland Browns (holder of No. 1) would select the former Wyoming Cowboys QB. However, they were all wrong, as the Browns ended up selecting Baker Mayfield, who never found success there until moving to Tampa Bay.
The past can’t be changed, and Bills fans wouldn’t want it any other way. After his second conference championship appearance last year, they’re now hoping Allen builds on his MVP-caliber season and finishes the job this year. And finally, maybe, he’s the one to bring a Lombardi home — something no QB has accomplished for Buffalo. But Allen has the pedigree to do it. His development and growth are the proof.
