ORLANDO – Among NFL coaches and executives, Vance Joseph may know the Big Four as well as anyone.
The Big Four: Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen, Josh Allen and Baker Mayfield.
Joseph spent nearly a week coaching Mayfield and Allen for the Senior Bowl North team in Mobile, Alabama, and attended the Pro Day workouts for Mayfield at Oklahoma and Rosen at UCLA.
He sat in on the 15-minute, interviews with each of the Big Four during the NFL Combine earlier this month in Indianapolis. More is to come with the Broncos holding a private workout for Darnold in early April.
The Broncos may, or may not take one of the Big Four with their No. 5 overall draft selection in late-April. At least two of the Big Four will be taken by the Cleveland Browns with either their No. 1 or 4 picks, and New York Jets with their No. 3 selection before the Broncos are on the clock at No. 5.
And it would make sense for the New York Giants to take a quarterback with their No. 2 pick so he can groom for a season behind 37-year-old Eli Manning.
The Broncos will have done their homework on the one or two quarterbacks who will be available by the time they draft. Just in case.
Joseph’s take on the Big Four:
Baker Mayfield: He’s the shortest at 6-foot-1, but he’s also the Heisman Trophy winner.
“Well, Baker we had in the Senior Bowl so as a person, he’s right,’’ Joseph said. “As a quarterback with his football IQ, he’s right. For a smaller guy, he can throw the ball like a big man. He can throw the ball with great pace. He can throw the ball long. And he’s played the most football. He’s the most experienced out of all four, even though he’s the smaller guy.
“His competitive nature, his knack to win games is special.’’
Sam Darnold: A redshirt, two-year starter at USC, Darnold is nearly perfectly sized at 6-3, 221 and he doesn’t turn 21 until June. He is the youngest of the Big Four and the consensus is he’s the No. 1 quarterback.
“As I watch all four guys, Darnold is a guy who’s played in big games,’’ Joseph said. “Who has come up big in those games. Not so much last year but the year before that. He’s played against great competition. He’s played well.
“He has great arm talent, he can move. He’s a big man, he’s played in a pro-style offense his entire career so I can see why some folks think he’s the top guy.’’
Josh Rosen: He is the best pure, pocket passer in the group. Thin in the hips at 6-foot-4, 226 and the least athletic of the Big Four but he also may be the most NFL-ready.
“When you press play on this guy’s tape, it looks like an NFL quarterback,’’ Joseph said. “The footwork, the release, the ball placement -- the stuff is right.
“Meeting the kid for the first time – I should say young man – at the combine, his football IQ is high. He went through all the rumors about his personality -- I didn’t see that. He’s a confident guy. You want your quarterback to be confident. He’s got a high football IQ and his natural ability as far as throwing the football is special.’’
Josh Allen: The most physically gifted prospect in two or three decades, much less the Big Four. He is 6-foot-5, 237 pounds with athleticism and a cannon, but accuracy and ability to process quickly under pressure are in question.
“His arm talent is rare,’’ Joseph said. “I haven’t seen a guy with his kind of arm in a long time. But he’s also a good athlete. His combine workout was really, really good because he cleaned some things up from the Senior Bowl and from the previous tape. His footwork, his ball placement was excellent.
“I watched his Pro Day on Friday before I flew out to the owners’ meeting, he was excellent. He has come a long way fast. And that’s a good sign for a young quarterback that he can improve fast. So, by the fall he may be ready to play for you but his arm talent is rare.’’
With that No. 5 overall pick, the Broncos may take defensive end Bradley Chubb, running back Saquon Barkley, defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick or guard Quenton Nelson.
But they will have a good read on the Big Four if they want to take one of them.
