Round one of the NFL Draft was this past Thursday and to the surprise of no one, it was an eventful night. Widely recognized as the consensus number-one pick, USC quarterback Sam Darnold did not receive a phone call from the Cleveland Browns. Instead, Heisman Trophy winner, Baker Mayfield, heard his name come off the board first leaving many, from fan to analyst, in shock.
The NY Jets had previously traded away the number-six pick and three second-rounders to the Indianapolis Colts to move up three spots in the draft; a move scrutinized by football fans everywhere. However, the Browns made Jets GM Mike Maccagnan’s job even easier. After the Giants selected Penn State running back Saquon Barkley with the second pick, the Jets were able to steal Darnold at three.
Could Darnold be the quarterback that the Jets have been searching for since Namath? Is he good enough to bring “the other New York team” a Super Bowl? Truth be told, we won’t know at first. The Jets still have four other quarterbacks on the roster, two of which will likely be cut. On top of previous draft picks Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg, the Jets signed Josh McCown and Teddy Bridgewater in free agency this offseason. McCown is considered by many to be the Day 1 starter. Bridgewater has by far the most upside of any of these four names and was signed to a one-year deal. Simple deduction: Petty and Hackenberg will be looking for new homes before camp.
The Jets certainly hope that Darnold is their quarterback of the future, especially since Tom Brady will likely retire in the years to come. The Jets, Bills, and Dolphins are all looking for ways to dethrone the Patriots as the King of the East. The Jets solution? Break a nine-year stretch of drafting a defensive player in the first round and finally take a top-end prospect on the offensive side of the ball.
Darnold isn’t perfect. None of the quarterbacks in this year’s draft class are. However, the goods far outweigh the bad with the now former-USC quarterback. Darnold was an early Heisman favorite before having a stretch of games that Jets fans would be wise to forget. Ball security can be an issue as well as the amount of times he is willing to take shots down field into tight coverage. One guy with similar issues early in his NFL career? Andrew Luck. Darnold has been tied to Luck as a pro comparison and if you’re a Jets fan, that’s not a bad place to start.
The 6’3”, 221 pound, 20 year-old is still young and is going to continue to grow. The Jets find themselves in a favorable situation. They have the ability to start McCown, keep Bridgewater on deck, and develop Darnold. Truth be told, a quarterback taken so early won’t likely sit for long. However, the pressure can be taken off Darnold early as he becomes acclimated to the league. As far as being the savior of New York, that is yet to be seen.