New England Patriots receive high grades in 2018 NFL Draft first round
New York Jets No. 3: USC QB, Sam Darnold
The New York Jets have their quarterback of the future. With the third pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, the Jets landed USC quarterback Sam Darnold.
Coming into the season, Darnold was the No. 1 rated quarterback and projected to go No. 1 in the 2018 NFL Draft. In what has seemingly become an annual tradition for the Jets, they had a player fall into their laps because of how the board fell.
Darnold took a step back in 2017, but his supporting cast around him was depleted. He lost his No. 1 wide receiver, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and three offensive linemen. As a result, he saw some struggles. He turned the ball over too often and showed some sloppy mechanics and footwork.
Despite that, it was evident that Darnold is the real deal. He finished the season with 4,143 yards, 26 touchdowns, completing 63.1 percent of his passes. He has all the tools you want in a franchise quarterback, possessing prototypical size and makeup. The Jets got a good one here and now have a foundational piece for their offense to go along with the defensive pieces they have compiled.