New York Jets Draft Profile: QB Sam Darnold, USC
Profiling potential New York Jets selection in the NFL Draft, Sam Darnold.
Time to continue our way down the homestretch until the New York Jets make their selection on Thursday night. With that, we continue our previews of the big guys. We look at the quarterbacks that the Jets may be choosing from when they go on the clock. Today’s prospect may very well go number one, but Rich Cimini advised not to count out a trade by the Jets to get him. There also are rumors that the Browns might pass on him, so we are going to talk about him today. The man in today’s crosshairs is Sam Darnold from USC.
Here are the stats:
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One thing to note quickly is that Darnold only started for two years. No, that doesn’t guarantee he will be unsuccessful, but the more you play the better the chance you have. Mark Sanchez only played for two and a half seasons and we all know how that turned out. Again, that doesn’t mean Darnold is Sanchez, it’s simply a statement of fact.
Another concern is in the numbers. The important metrics all declined from year one to year two. The completion percentage went down, the touchdowns went down and the interceptions went up. That’s not a good sign for a player heading to the NFL after only two seasons in college.
MEASURABLES
HEIGHT: 6-3
WEIGHT: 221 POUNDS
ARMS: 31 INCHES
HANDS: 9 3/8 INCHES
At the Combine, Darnold ran the forty yard dash in 4.85 seconds.
Any quarterback selected this high in the draft is going to be expected to play sooner rather than later. So the question is whether or not Sam Darnold is ready to do that. Is he ready to take over quickly and be the Jets franchise quarterback?
To answer the question we go to the video tape:
It’s all there for Darnold. He’s got a big arm and can make all the throws. He does check through his progressions although he has never done it from under center. Darnold also has escapability that Josh Rosen simply doesn’t have. Being able to create and improvise will serve Darnold well in the NFL.
Some of the fundamentals need to improve. Look closely at how he throws the football. Darnold takes a very long windup and during said windup, the ball points down to the ground. That won’t help with accuracy and it gives defenders time to close in and anticipate his release. That won’t fly in the NFL.
Footwork is also an issue. It’s very inconsistent. Sometimes it is great, other times he throws off his back foot or doesn’t take a stride at all. That also will not help in the pros.
Of course Darnold is talented. I simply believe he would have been well-served with another year at USC and that right now, Rosen and Baker Mayfield are better prospects.