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All season we've been looking for that sleeper quarterback, this year's version of Carson Wentz or Dak Prescott. I've found one.

It isn't Brad Kaaya—who dominated West Virginia in what might have been his final college game—or any of the other big names mentioned here this season, but a redshirt sophomore at little ol' Wyoming. Josh Allen has the size (6'5", 220 lbs), massive arm, mobility and gunslinger wiring to take the NFL draft world by storm if he declares for the 2017 draft.

Last week, I wrote about Allen in the "5 Names to Know" section, and this week he leads the article. What will Allen do regarding the 2017 draft? A Wyoming source told me he hasn't yet submitted paperwork to the advisory committee but will meet with head coach Craig Bohls this week to talk about next season.

He has until January 16 to make that decision, but with other top arms (Luke Falk, Mason Rudolph) deciding to stay in school, the time might be perfect for Allen to make the leap.

What else is going on in the NFL draft world? A lot. This week's column is a long one, packed full of NFL draft nuggets.

The best tight end no one talks about

Three NFL head coaching jobs open up

An updated big board

...and how many quarterbacks will go in the first round?

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The Scout's Report

—So many quarterbacks have held "QB1" status this season, but if Allen declares, it will be a three-man race between him, Mitch Trubisky (North Carolina) and DeShone Kizer (Notre Dame).

—Two months ago, I reported what multiple people had told me—that Washington State quarterback Luke Falk was leaning toward declaring for the draft. This week, Washington State coach Mike Leach said he believes Falk will return to school for the 2017 season. My information was wrong, or something changed. That happens in this business, especially when dealing with players in their early 20s who may be juggling their own wishes against the thoughts of parents, agents, coaches and teammates. Ultimately, this was Falk's decision, and I see it as a good one for his draft stock.

—Looking ahead to next season, Falk will be in a rough competition. UCLA's Josh Rosen is the clear-cut QB1 for the 2018 draft if he's healthy. Others in consideration will be Sam Darnold (USC), Lamar Jackson (Louisville), Jake Browning (Washington), Mason Rudolph (Oklahoma State), Kyle Allen (Houston) and potentially Josh Allen from Wyoming. Breaking the top five of that class will require a much better season from Falk.

—Oklahoma State stars Mason Rudolph and James Washington announced together this week that they will return for their senior seasons. Rudolph carried a Round 4 grade on my quarterback board, with Washington ranking as a third-round receiver in a weak class at the position.

—Are the New England Patriots asking for a first-rounder for Jimmy Garoppolo? They might be asking for more, according to an interview ESPN's Adam Schefter gave to WEEI in Boston this week. Schefter stated the starting point in any trade talks would be first- and fourth-round compensation. That's what the Minnesota Vikings gave up to get Sam Bradford from the Philadelphia Eagles on a short-term rental.

—The 2017 tight end class is impressive and keeps gaining strength with more underclassmen entering the draft. Miami's David Njoku, a redshirt sophomore, told the Miami Herald's Susan Miller Degnan after the Hurricanes' bowl win that he'll enter the draft. Njoku is an impressive athlete with great size (6'4", 245 lbs) and will potentially receive a top-50 grade from me.

—When updating my rankings this week in preparation for Monday morning's seven-round mock draft, I noticed that Michigan safety Jabrill Peppers continues to fall down the board. I started him as a top-five player, then he fell to the top 10, then top 15, and now he sits around No. 20. Why the fall?

When watching Peppers play, I'm struck by how little he does on defense. He's a great return man and a fun Wildcat quarterback, but as a linebacker/safety, he has little impact on the game. Part of scouting is being able to look at his traits and project those to an NFL defense; while Peppers is fast, agile and explosive, his production and impact aren't that of a top-tier player.

—Good news for the East-West Shrine Game: NFL assistants will work the week of practices and coach the game. This will be great exposure for non-playoff assistants and a great chance for draft prospects to work with experts who can influence their draft stock and prepare them for pro-level coaching.

—Alabama edge-rusher Tim Williams is a top-10 talent on my board but too often is labeled as "only" a pass-rusher. That's just not true. Turn on the tape and he is routinely setting the edge in the run game when he's on the field. Yes, Alabama rotates the front seven often, but this idea that Williams can't affect the run game is silly. It's a case of what the team asks him to do versus what he can do. Williams can set the edge—he's just not asked to do it often.

5 Names to Know

5. S John Johnson, Boston College

A versatile defensive back with the tools to play cornerback and free safety, John Johnson has lined up at both spots for Boston College. The more I tune in to watch EDGE Harold Landry, the more I find my eyes shifting to No. 9 in the secondary. Johnson isn't a Day 1 or Day 2 player, but he could be a nice sub-package safety in Round 4.

4. WR Carlos Henderson, Louisiana Tech

Louisiana Tech wide receivers Trent Taylor and Carlos Henderson will both get talked up as we get closer to the draft, but for now Henderson is the one under the spotlight. A 5'11", 191-pound burner, he has declared for the 2017 draft already as a junior. Some scouts will no doubt question the scheme, but watching Henderson run past defenders and make plays with the ball in his hands, it's easy to see him rising to a late Day 3 selection.

3. DL Lowell Lotulelei, Utah

It feels like Lowell Lotulelei has been on my board for two years now. A talented, penetrating defensive tackle from an aggressive Utah scheme, he has the quick first step to shoot into backfields and the power to anchor in the run game. A junior, Lotulelei may return to school for the 2017 season, but right now he is a fringe first-rounder in an otherwise average defensive tackle class.

2. OT Garett Bolles, Utah



Garett Bolles is an interesting prospect with quite the backstory.

The 2016 season is his first at Utah after transferring from Snow College, where he was the No. 1-ranked junior college prospect in the nation, according to Scout.com. How does a stud high school defensive tackle end up at Snow College playing offensive tackle? An arrest will do that. Bolles was a 5-star recruit as a teenager before being arrested for vandalism and spending time in jail. He was even homeless at one point before finding a mentor who would turn his life around.

Bolles joined the Church of Latter-day Saints, did a two-year mission, got married and became a rare left tackle prospect in the last three years. Now, at 24 years old, there's a good chance he enters the 2017 draft as the top lineman in the nation.

1. OT Antonio Garcia, Troy

As much time as I've spent trying to find good quarterbacks in this class, I've spent equal time on finding quality offensive tackles in a weak group. Troy right tackle Antonio Garcia is an intriguing Day 2 option. He has the athleticism and length to move to the left side in time, and his play against Ohio pass-rusher Tarell Basham showed he can handle the job of creating separation from the rush and punching to win in a pass-blocking situation.

The Big Board

A seven-round mock draft drops Monday morning, and I don't want to spoil the fun, so here's another look at my updated Top 50 big board.

Updated Top 50 Big Board Rank Player School 1 DE Myles Garrett Texas A&M 2 RB Leonard Fournette LSU 3 DL Jonathan Allen Alabama 4 S Jamal Adams LSU 5 LB Reuben Foster Alabama 6 EDGE Tim Williams Alabama 7 WR Mike Williams Clemson 8 RB Dalvin Cook Florida State 9 QB Mitch Trubisky North Carolina 10 TE O.J. Howard Alabama 11 CB Quincy Wilson Florida 12 WR Corey Davis Western Michigan 13 T Ryan Ramczyk Wisconsin 14 QB DeShone Kizer Notre Dame 15 EDGE Derek Barnett Tennessee 16 QB Josh Allen Wyoming 17 CB Gareon Conley Ohio State 18 EDGE Takkarist McKinley UCLA 19 WR John Ross Washington 20 S Jabrill Peppers Michigan 21 DL Montravius Adams Auburn 22 DL Caleb Brantley Florida 23 CB Teez Tabor Florida 24 LB Zach Cunningham Vanderbilt 25 EDGE Taco Charlton Michigan 26 EDGE Harold Landry Boston College 27 RB Christian McCaffrey Stanford 28 CB Marshon Lattimore Ohio State 29 EDGE Charles Harris Missouri 30 RB D'Onta Foreman Texas 31 CB Sidney Jones Washington 32 QB Deshaun Watson Clemson 33 T Cam Robinson Alabama 34 G Dan Feeney Indiana 35 EDGE Ryan Anderson Alabama 36 EDGE Carl Lawson Auburn 37 EDGE DeMarcus Walker Florida State 38 S Justin Evans Texas A&M 39 LB Jarrad Davis Florida 40 S Budda Baker Washington 41 EDGE Joe Mathis Washington 42 EDGE Solomon Thomas Stanford 43 TE Jake Butt Michigan 44 S Desmond King Iowa 45 CB Cordrea Tankersley Clemson 46 DL Lowell Lotulelei Utah 47 DL Malik McDowell Michigan State 48 G Forrest Lamp Western Kentucky 49 EDGE Dawuane Smoot Illinois 50 QB Brad Kaaya Miami (Fla.) Matt MIller

Parting Shots

8. Looking back at the 2012 quarterback class now that four seasons have been played, it's interesting to see where players were drafted versus where they were ranked versus how well they've played.

Here are my rankings against where players were drafted, with their current status added in:

2012 Quarterback Class Revisited Player # Drafted # Ranked Status Andrew Luck 1 1, QB1 Starter, Colts Robert Griffin III 2 2, QB2 Backup, Browns Ryan Tannehill 8 46, QB4 Starter, Dolphins Brandon Weeden 22 50, QB5 Backup, Texans Brock Osweiler 57 68, QB6 Backup, Texans Russell Wilson 75 102, QB7 Starter, Seahawks Nick Foles 88 112, QB8 Backup, Chiefs Kirk Cousins 102 44, QB3 Starter, Washington Ryan Lindley 185 187, QB11 Out of League B.J. Coleman 243 138, QB9 CFL Chandler Harnish 253 244, QB12 Out of League www.DraftHistory.com

7. Three NFL head coaching jobs are open as of this writing. Oddly enough, the three general managers for the Rams, Bills and Jaguars remain employed. That's good news for Les Snead, Doug Whaley and Dave Caldwell but bad news for a good crop of prospective general managers like Chris Ballard and Nick Caserio.

Which of the likely head coaching candidates—no Jon Gruden or Jim Harbaugh, in other words—would I select for each team?

Buffalo: Current offensive coordinator and interim head coach Anthony Lynn should get an interview for the job and may be the right mix of innovator and organizer needed to be the CEO of the team. He's well regarded around the league, but is this rise too fast? It might be. Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin is a good possibility here too, but the chances of the Bills going with back-to-back defensive coaches are slim.

My pick would be Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub. The Bills need someone who can run the entire team and focus on the little things (like getting 11 men on the field or knowing when the team has been eliminated from the playoffs). Toub's run as a coordinator means he's used to running meetings and staying on task. His no-nonsense style would also be perfect in Buffalo.

Jacksonville: Josh McDaniels would be a good fit here, but would he be willing to bet his second time around on Blake Bortles? I can't see that one. The same goes for Kyle Shanahan, who will probably want more stability for his first head coaching job.

The Jaguars have a talented offensive roster and need someone who can take them over the top. Why not Scott Linehan, currently the offensive coordinator in Dallas and a man whose work with Dak Prescott should be praised? Linehan was last a head coach for the Rams (2006-2008) but has the offensive genius to get Bortles, Allen Robinson and the rest of the offense thriving.

Los Angeles: What's it going to cost to trade for Sean Payton? That's the first call I'm making. If Payton cannot be had for a combination of picks including a 2017 third-round compensatory pick and 2018 conditional selection, going after an offensive mind like McDaniels is the best option.

The Rams need a head coach with experience and understandably an offensive mind to work with Jared Goff and Todd Gurley. McDaniels flamed out in Denver during his run there, but what he's done in New England has earned him another shot at a head coaching gig.

6. What goes into the decision-making process for underclassman quarterbacks who are trying to decide whether to enter the draft?

Miami head coach Mark Richt was asked this in his Russell Athletic Bowl press conference, and courtesy of the Palm Beach Post, he gave a really insightful answer:

My goal is always to give them as much NFL information as possible, either through the committee that does the evaluating, or I’ve made a lot of contacts over the years in the NFL. There’s a lot of guys I’ve coached who are scouts. There’s a lot of guys that I’ve maybe coached with who are part of the scouting or GMs and all that kind of thing. You meet head coaches over the years, they come and try out your players. After a while you get to know a lot of those guys. You can ask them to give you a good feel for what they think of these guys. That’s the information I want them to have. I don’t want them to make a decision based on emotion, based on what somebody in the media said they were going to be selected as, an agent who says, ‘If you come with me, I can do this for you,’ or even coming from me, saying, ‘Here’s some of the benefits of staying.’ My goal is to educate them the best I can and allow them to think it through, pray it through and do what’s in their best interest.

Richt is an old pro at this and has a track record of getting his guys into the draft when they've reached their peaks as players. Will Kaaya declare? I have a feeling he will, and if he does enter this class, it will be after Richt and his people have given him as much information as could be expected.

5. Another round of players accepted invitations to the Senior Bowl this week. Here's a look at the updated rosters—which are, of course, subject to change:

2017 Senior Bowl Rosters QB C.J. Beathard, Iowa QB Josh Dobbs, Tennessee QB Chad Kelly, Ole Miss QB Sefo Liufau, Colorado QB Nathan Peterman, Pitt QB Antonio Pipkin, Tiffin QB Seth Russell, Baylor QB Davis Webb, Cal RB Corey Clement, Wisconsin RB Matt Dayes, NC State RB Kareem Hunt, Toledo RB Donnel Pumphrey, SDSU RB Jamaal Williams, BYU FB Sam Rogers, Virginia Tech FB Freddie Stevenson, FSU WR Amara Darboh, Michigan WR Travin Dural, LSU WR Amba Etta-Tawo, Syracuse WR Isaiah Jones, East Carolina WR Cooper Kupp, Eastern Wash. WR Josh Reynolds, Texas A&M WR Fred Ross, Miss. State WR Jamari Staples, Louisville WR Ryan Switzer, North Carolina WR Trent Taylor, La. Tech WR Taywan Taylor, Western KY WR Dede Westbrook, Oklahoma TE Evan Engram, Ole Miss TE Gerald Everett, South Alabama TE Cole Hikutini, Louisville TE Jeremy Sprinkle, Arkansas OT Zach Banner, USC OT Adam Bisnowaty, Pitt OT Julien Davenport, Bucknell OT Dion Dawkins, Temple OT Antonio Garcia, Troy OT Conor McDermott, UCLA OG Jessamen Dunker, Tenn. State OG Dan Feeney, Indiana OG Danny Isidora, Miami OG Dorian Johnson, Pitt OG Forrest Lamp, Western KY OG Jordan Morgan, Kutztown OG Taylor Moton, Western Michigan OG Nico Siragusa, SDSU OC Isaac Asiata, Utah OC Kyle Fuller, Baylor OC Tyler Orlosky, West Virginia OC Ethan Pocic, LSU OC Jon Toth, Kentucky DE Tarell Basham, Ohio DE Keionta Davis, Chattanooga DE Daeshon Hall, Texas A&M DE Tanoh Kpassagnon, Villanova DE Carroll Phillips, Illinois DE Dawuane Smoot, Illinois DE Jordan Willis, Kansas State DT Montravius Adams, Auburn DL Ryan Glasgow, Michigan DL Jaleel Johnson, Iowa DL Larry Ogunjobi, Charlotte DL Tanzel Smart, Tulane DL Dalvin Tomlinson, Alabama OLB Ryan Anderson, Alabama OLB Vince Biegel, Wisconsin OLB Jarrad Davis, Florida OLB Takkarist McKinley, UCLA OLB Haason Reddick, Temple ILB Duke Riley, LSU CB Chidobe Awuzie, Colorado CB Rasul Douglas, West Virginia CB Corn Elder, Miami CB Damontae Kazee, SDSU CB Desmond King, Iowa CB Brendan Langley, Lamar CB Ezra Robinson, Tennessee St. CB Cameron Sutton, Tennessee CB Marquez White, FSU S Justin Evans, Texas A&M S Johnathan Ford, Auburn S Nate Gerry, Nebraska S Josh Harvey-Clemons, Louisville S Rayshawn Jenkins, Miami S John Johnson, Boston College S Marcus Maye, Florida S Obi Melifonwu, UConn P Toby Baker, Arkansas P Justin Vogel, Miami K Jake Elliott, Memphis K Zane Gonzalez, Arizona State www.SeniorBowl.com

4. The Senior Bowl is the premier predraft all-star showcase, but the East-West Shrine Game is also important. As those rosters start to take shape, I'll update them here as well:

2017 Shrine Game Rosters QB Wes Lunt, Illinois QB Gunner Kiel, Cincinnati QB Nick Mullens, Southern Miss QB Nathan Peterman, Pitt QB Cooper Rush, Central Michigan QB Zach Terrell, Western Michigan QB Alek Torgersen, Penn RB Marcus Cox, App State RB Justin Davis, USC RB I'Tavius Mathers, Middle Tenn. RB Elijah McGuire, La.-Lafayette RB Dare Ogunbowale, Wisconsin RB Joe Williams, Utah WR Rodney Adams, South Florida WR Quincy Adeboyejo, Ole Miss WR Billy Brown, Shepherd WR Austin Carr, Northwestern WR Stacy Coley, Miami WR Kenny Golladay, Northern Illinois WR Trey Griffey, Arizona WR Keevan Lucas, Tulsa WR Gabe Marks, Washington St. WR Jalen Robinette, Air Force WR Tony Stevens, Auburn WR Jordan Westerkamp, Nebraska WR Kermit Whitfield, FSU WR DeAngelo Yancey, Purdue TE Blake Jarwin, OK State TE Colin Jeter, LSU TE Taylor McNamara, USC TE Eric Saubert, Drake OT Gavin Andrews, Oregon State OT Antonio Garcia, Troy OT Avery Gennesy, Texas A&M OT Evan Goodman, Arizona State OT Sean Harlow, Oregon State OT Dieugot Joseph, FIU OT Erik Magnuson, Michigan OT Jonathan McLaughlin, Virginia Tech OT Storm Norton, Toledo OT Victor Salako, OK State OT Justin Senior, Miss. State OT Dan Skipper, Arkansas OT Sam Tevi, Utah OG Abdul-Kareem Are, FSU OG Geoff Gray, Manitoba OG Danny Isidora, Miami OG Zach Johnson, NDSU OG Kyle Kalis, Michigan OG Adam Pankey, West Virginia OC Anthony Auclair, Laval OC Tobijah Hughley, Louisville OC Chase Roullier, Wyoming OC Joey Scelfo, NC State OC Cameron Tom, Southern Miss DE Bryan Cox, Florida DE Trey Hendrickson, FAU DE Jerimiah Ledbetter, Arkansas DE Avery Moss, Youngstown DE Ejuan Price, Pitt DE Derek Rivers, Youngstown DE Karter Schult, Northern Iowa DE Deatrich Wise, Arkansas DT Josh Augusta, Missouri DT DeAngelo Brown, Louisville DT Jason Carr, West Gorgia DT Chunky Clements, Illinois DT Matthew Godin, Michigan DT Joey Ivie, Florida DT B.J. Singleton, Houston DT Stevie T'ikolovatu, USC OLB Tyus Bowser, Houston OLB Jayon Brown, UCLA OLB Harvey Langi, BYU OLB Calvin Munson, SDSU OLB James Onwualu, Notre Dame OLB Carroll Phillips, Illinois OLB Steven Taylor, Houston CB Jeremy Cutrer, Middle Tenn. CB Treston Decoud, Oregon State CB Tyquwan Glass, Fresno State CB Nate Hairston, Temple CB Ashton Lampkin, OK State CB Fabian Moreau, UCLA CB Aarion Penton, Missouri CB Channing Stribling, Michigan CB Jack Tocho, NC State CB Brad Watson, Wake Forest CB Ahkello Witherspoon, Colorado S Jamal Carter, Miami S Randall Goforth, UCLA S Delano Hill, Michigan S Leon McQuay, USC S Jalen Myrick, Minnesota S Anthony Smithson, Kansas S Jordan Sterns, OK State S Orion Stewart, Baylor S Weston Steelhammer, Air Force S Dymonte Thomas, Michigan S Tedric Thompson, Colorado S Damarius Travis, Minnesota www.ShrineGame.com

3. The January 16 deadline for players to declare for the 2017 NFL draft seems far away, but some are already announcing their intentions. The following players have confirmed they'll enter the draft:

QB DeShone Kizer, Notre Dame

QB Deshaun Watson, Clemson

RB James Conner, Pitt

RB Brian Hill, Wyoming

RB D'Onta Foreman, Texas

RB Leonard Fournette, LSU

RB Wayne Gallman, Clemson

RB Christian McCaffrey, Stanford

RB Jeremy McNichols, Boise State

RB Joseph Yearby, Miami (Fla.)

WR KD Cannon, Baylor

WR Carlos Henderson, Louisiana Tech

WR Jerome Lane, Akron

WR Artavis Scott, Clemson

WR Damore'ea Stringfellow, Ole Miss

WR Mike Williams, Clemson

TE David Njoku, Miami (Fla.)

DL Nazair Jones, North Carolina

DL Malik McDowell, Michigan State

DL Eddie Vanderdoes, UCLA

DL Charles Walker, Oklahoma

EDGE Charles Harris, Missouri

LB Jermaine Grace, Miami (Fla.)

S Josh Jones, North Carolina State

2. The first round of the College Football Playoff starts this weekend with a ton of NFL draft talent on the field. Here's who I'll be watching in each matchup:

Peach Bowl Scouting Lists Alabama Washington DL Jonathan Allen WR John Ross LB Reuben Foster CB Sidney Jones EDGE Tim Williams S Budda Baker TE O.J. Howard EDGE Joe Mathis OT Cam Robinson DL Vita Vea EDGE Ryan Anderson DL Elijah Qualls CB Marlon Humphrey CB Kevin King S Eddie Jackson TE Darrell Daniels DL Dalvin Tomlinson EDGE Psalm Wooching DL Da'Shawn Hand (2018) LB Azeem Victor (2018) WR Calvin Ridley (2018) QB Jake Browning (2018) WR ArDarius Stewart (2018) CB Anthony Averett (2018) Matt Miller

Fiesta Bowl Scouting Lists Clemson Ohio State QB Deshaun Watson RB Curtis Samuel RB Wayne Gallman WR Corey Smith WR Mike Williams C Pat Elflein WR Artavis Scott LB Raekwon McMillan TE Jordan Leggett CB Gareon Conley G Tyrone Crowder CB Marshon Lattimore DT Carlos Watkins WR Noah Brown (2018) LB Ben Boulware DE Sam Hubbard (2018) CB Cordrea Tankersley DE Tyquan Lewis (2018) SS Jadar Johnson S Malik Hooker (2018) Matt Miller

1. This will be my final article of 2016, and I wanted to take some time here at the end to thank you all for making all of this possible.

When I started at Bleacher Report in October 2010, I never imagined it would become my full-time job. I definitely never thought I'd move from covering the NFL and NFL draft to a full-time draft role, but that happened this year largely because of the folks reading this article right now.

Covering the draft as a 365-day sport has always been my dream, and that became a reality in 2016. As we prepare to kick off a new year, I'm excited to see where this weekly column goes and where we take our draft coverage. And I'm forever grateful to the loyal readers, viewers and Twitter followers who have all helped make this possible.

Have a safe and happy New Year!

Matt Miller covers the NFL and NFL draft for Bleacher Report.