Four years ago, the Buffalo Bills struck gold by drafting a mobile quarterback with a tendency to make big plays but a penchant for taking too many risks.
Now they could be looking to do it again.
Pro Football Network’s Tony Pauline reported that the Bills were one of the teams showing interest in East Carolina quarterback Holton Ahlers ahead of the NFL Draft. Though Ahlers is projected as a late-round pick, Pauline noted that he looked impressive at ECU’s Pro Day.
“It wasn’t his testing numbers but rather his passing workout,” Pauline wrote. “Ahlers displayed a next-level arm and the ability to make all the throws. His accuracy and ability to perfectly place passes had scouts grinning.”
College Standout Shares Similarities to Josh Allen
As SI.com’s Fan Nation noted, Ahlers has a skill set very similar to Allen, using both his arm and athleticism to gash defenses at the college level.
“Ahlers displays good mobility for a quarterback his size,” the pre-draft report noted. “He’s able to extend plays and punish defenses with his legs when they leave him alone in space. Ahlers doesn’t have much wiggle as a runner, but his large frame helps generate yards after contact. He keeps his eyes downfield on extended plays, which has helped him consistently generate downfield production.”
Tony Pauline breaks down his top offensive prospects who didn’t attend the NFL Scouting Combine, including East Carolina QB Holton Ahlers.
But Ahlers also shared some of Allen’s faults, including a tendency to lean on his physical abilities too much when plays fall apart.
“Ahlers plays too much hero ball,” the report noted. “He needs to learn when to throw the ball away and live to fight another down.”
The 6-foot-3, 240-pound quarterback completed 67.2% of his passes for ECU last season, throwing 28 touchdowns with 5 interceptions. Ahlers has gotten interest from other teams, including the New York Jets, though Fan Nation noted that he could fall out of the draft and end up as an undrafted free agent.
Bills Have Looked to Draft for Quarterback Depth
Though Allen is firmly placed atop the depth chart in Buffalo, the Bills have invested draft picks into finding low-cost backups at other points during his tenure. The team drafted former Georgia standout Jake Fromm in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Fromm never saw the field in his rookie year as he served as the team’s “quarantine quarterback,” practicing away from all of his teammates as a contingency in case the team lost players to COVID-19. Fromm then spent the 2021 season on the practice squad.
If the Bills were to draft Ahlers or sign him as an undrafted free agent, he would likely compete for a place on the practice squad while the Bills continue to develop him.
The Bills have already made other moves to bring depth behind Allen. After losing veteran Case Keenum in free agency, the team signed Kyle Allen, a close friend of Josh Allen.
#Bills new QB2 and noted Josh Allen friend, Kyle Allen, stops just short of calling JA17 a unicorn.
Kyle Allen said he fully understands his role on the team behind Josh Allen, noting that Buffalo has a tight quarterback room.
“I’m just here to support him in any way I can,” Kyle Allen said in his introductory press conference with the team. “I think our relationship over the past six years, we’re super close. We’re boys. Same with [Matt] Barkley and him. They’re boys.”
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Bills Looking at ‘Hero Ball’ QB to Back Up Josh Allen: Insider