Luck for Sam! Darnold Falls to Jets in Round 1

By Glenn Naughton Posted On April 26, 2018

The pick is in and it’s Sam Darnold, ladies and gentleman. That’s right. The quarterback who has been projected as the number one choice for over a year, fell to the New York Jets at number three, and they took full advantage.

In Darnold, the Jets hope they’ve finally found their long-term answer at the quarterback position by selecting the former USC Trojan.

A three-year starter in college, Rosen threw 57 career TD’s to 22 INT’s at USC while completing 64.9% of his passes and is regarded by may as the best QB in this draft. Darnold’s scouting report per NFL.com lists his comp as Colts QB Andrew Luck and reads as follows:

Player Bio

Right now, Darnold is the second-most famous member of his family. His grandfather, Dick Hammer, was a USC basketball player, an Olympic volleyball player, and actor — in fact, he was one of the Mr. Marlboro Men. Sam’s father, Mike, also played football at Redlands College and several other relatives were collegiate athletes. Soon enough, however, Darnold will become the top dog in the family. The High School All-American and Orange County Offensive Player of the Year (67.8 completion percentage, 2,996 yards, 39 touchdowns, eight interceptions) also excelled at basketball and baseball, even though he missed time with a broken foot (suffered during football) and a broken finger. Darnold redshirted in 2015, sitting behind Cody Kessler and Max Browne. Browne ended up transferring to Pitt after 2016, as he saw the mature, pro-sized, strong-armed, and accurate Darnold take his job. He played in all 13 games, starting the final nine, completing 67.2 percent of 366 passes for 3,086 yards, 31 touchdowns and just nine interceptions. Darnold also has the athleticism to make plays with his feet (62 rush attempts, 250 yards, two rushing touchdowns). He was voted first-team All-Pac-12 by league coaches in 2017, completing 63.1 percent of his passes (303-of-480) for 4,143 yards and 26 touchdowns on the for the conference champs. His 13 interceptions and 11 fumbles during his sophomore season have scouts wondering about his ball security skills, however.

Overview

At the end of the day, Darnold has NFL size, arm strength, accuracy, pocket mobility, poise and field reading capability. His windup is an eyesore for sure, but he has the velocity to mitigate the additional release time. While Darnold has the mental toughness and talent to start tomorrow, early sideline seasoning could help him better process coverages in an attempt to eliminate future interceptions. Darnold has the tools to thrive in any system and doesn’t have to have perfect protection to succeed. His floor is solid starter, but he has the ceiling to be one of the top tier quarterbacks in the game as he gains more experience.

Strengths

Has desired NFL size
Trusts his pocket and keeps eyes down the field
Looks off safeties
Takes what defense is offering and won’t overcomplicate it
Scans full field and eyes don’t get bogged down on a single target
Gets through progressions like a pro
Throws with desired anticipation and timing
Isolates deep ball opportunities pre-snap
There isn’t a throw he fears
Impressive feel for spatial relationship between target and defender
Trusts his arm and placement
Naturally accurate with tight spirals
Has arm talent to uncork it quickly
Rifles it to hitches and swing passes giving them time to operate
Has velocity, timing and accuracy to own the deep out
Tough in and out of the pocket
Feels edge pressure and climbs away from sharks circling the rush arc
Shakes off sack attempts and throws with accuracy and pace when on the move
Completion percentage unaffected by blitz
Sudden processor when faced with free-running blitzers
Can pump and re-calibrate
Tough runner who can move the sticks with his legs
Doesn’t get shaken by in-game mistakes
Shows quality leadership and poise.

Weaknesses

Elongated release is impossible to miss
Ball drops to his waist with forearm pointed towards the ground, pre-delivery
Windup gives defenders early clue to break on the throw
Muscle memory may not allow for release correction
Turnover total is alarming
Finished 2017 with 13 interceptions and nine lost fumbles
Has 20 interceptions over last 20 games
Decision-making and field vision were inconsistent this year
Has a tendency to rush throws once internal clock winds down
Too much mustard on some short throws
Muscles too many throws rather than driving with lower half
Too willing to throw from uneven platform
Intermediate accuracy fell from 2016
Can throw with better placement and lead his targets
Deep ball touch needs work
Took sacks when incompletions were available
Rarely slides in the open field which has to change

Sources Tell Us

“I think he caught some backlash this year because of the pre-season hype and the interceptions. He’s still the most complete quarterback in this draft with the best makeup to be a good pro.” — AFC Executive

For over a year, Jets fans have wondered which QB would have their name called in Dallas, and while they didn’t quite “suck for Sam”, a trade up to the third overall pick did help the Jets Luck for Sam.

Stop by our forums to discuss Sam Darnold to the Jets with other die-hard fans.

Glenn Naughton

Glenn was Born in the Bronx, New York and has followed the Jets religiously despite being stationed in several different countries and time zones around the world. He now resides in England and has been a JetNation member since 2005. Glenn will bleed green with the rest of us through the highs and lows.

See Full Bio

This Article Was Written By Glenn Naughton

Glenn Naughton

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