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:
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.