New York Jets: Sam Darnold could save the franchise or be a legendary bust
By Kyle Morello
The New York Jets drafted Sam Darnold third overall in the draft. Will he turn around the franchise’s misfortune or sink the organization for years to come?
New York Jets fans will forever remember the day that Sam Darnold was drafted third overall, despite the fact that he has yet to throw a pass in a real NFL game.
Why do I say this? Because drafting Darnold will either propel the Jets franchise into prosperity or plummet them into the depths of NFL purgatory never seen before, even by their standards.
The expectations for Darnold are even higher than when another USC quarterback was taken in top five by them. Yes, I am referring to Mark Sanchez, the man who led the Jets to two AFC Championship games in his first two seasons despite not doing a whole lot for them.
Sanchez had only started one year at USC and while he was productive he was still viewed as somewhat of a risky pick where the Jets took him, which was fifth overall. Darnold on the other hand started nearly two full seasons and was viewed as the best quarterback in a talent-loaded draft class.
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Darnold is revered by many to be the savior of the Jets franchise, including myself. Even with all of the hype surrounding him he may not even get the call to start Week 1 of this season, as Josh McCown and Teddy Bridgewater are also having good training camps.
He also could fail to do anything special and fall off the face of the Earth within five years, as Jets fans like myself know all too well. If Darnold fails to deliver at the very least a run of successful, playoff caliber seasons for the Jets it could set their franchise back for years to come.
Since Sanchez stopped being at least a somewhat competent quarterback the Jets have not made the playoffs. And since defenses like the 2000 Ravens or even the 2009 Jets do not come around very often, having a quarterback that can lead you to the promise land is a must.
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So yes, Jets fans will forever remember the night of April 26th, 2018. Because that was the night that either kick-started the greatest years in franchise history or derailed an organization already viewed as a laughingstock for years to come.