Will Josh Allen tweets hurt his draft stock?

Josh Allen faces a nervous draft day after a series of old tweets raised questions about his character. 

Based purely on his on-field abilities, Josh Allen is a pretty divisive NFL Draft prospect. Some scouts love his size and arm strength while others are very concerned about his inaccurate passing. The emergence of some racist tweets from Allen’s past may have an even greater impact on the quarterback’s draft stock.

Allen was quick to apologize for his series of offensive tweets, sent while he was in high school, but the damage may already be done for many NFL teams. The current political climate of the league makes teams very hesitant to draft anyone who might become a public relations problem.

In fairness to Allen, we’re talking about statements he made in high school. That doesn’t excuse his poor choices, but we should evaluate them in context. The comments would be viewed much differently if he made them during his time at Wyoming.

At this point, there really isn’t anything Allen can do to help his situation. He was right to come out and apologize immediately, but he only has a few hours left to try to comfort teams about his ability to lead them on and off the field. If he wasn’t a quarterback, teams might be more inclined to overlook the issue. The leadership requirement of Allen’s position makes it a larger problem.

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In the end, don’t expect Allen’s tweets to drastically impact his stock in tonight’s NFL Draft. It would still be a massive surprise if we don’t hear his name called tonight. Teams that pass on him will still likely be doing so because of concerns about his physical ability. One or two franchises might drop him on their board due to his remarks, but the vast majority of teams will still view him as a first round quarterback prospect.