2018 NFL Draft Profiles: Sam Darnold
- Tyler Webb
- Jun 16, 2017
- 2 min read
Sam Darnold, Quarterback, USC
6’4, 225 Lbs, Sophomore, 4.74 40 Yard
Coming out of the 2015 class, Sam Darnold was ranked the 5th best dual threat quarterback in the nation according to 247Sports.com, and voted to the U.S Army All-American game. Last season USC was supposedly back to being a juggerknot and opened the season at #20 against Alabama. Bama rocked USC 52-6, but Sam Darnold didn’t start until week 4 against a pesky Utah defense. From there on the legend of Sam Darnold was born, and he continued to thrash the NCAA averaging 295 yards a game. He went 9-1 as the USC starter and lead the struggling team to a Rose Bowl victory against #5 Penn State. Darnold completed 33 of 53 pass attempts, and threw for 453 yards and 5 touchdowns. After just his freshman season Darnold has shown he is ready to take over an offense, and has been praised for being mentally years ahead in his game.
Darnold combines a giant 6’4 frame, with unique athleticism to get the full potential out of every play. His game reminds me a lot of Matthew Stafford or Ben Roethlisberger as he loves to extend plays and move around the pocket. He has the tendency to want to do too much, and tries to create plays that simply aren't there. Whenever the pocket collapses, you can’t bring him down because he always is aware of his surroundings, plus he is a big man. Though his footwork could use polishing, he is an accurate thrower on the run. His biggest strength in my eyes is his natural ability to make clutch plays. In the Rose Bowl Sam Darnold rallied USC from a 14 point deficit, and scored the tying touchdown with under 1 and half minutes left in the game. His biggest weaknesses would be mechanics, as he as a slow release. Simply put Sam Darnold was born to be a franchise quarterback, and is everything you could want in your offensive leader.
Possible Landing Spots: Top 4
New York Jets - Desperate need of a quarterback who can shine in the New York light, and are in the process of completely revamping the offense.
San Francisco 49ers - Major lack of offensive fire power, and with a new offensive minded head coach, are searching for a captain to change this losing culture.
Buffalo Bills - The Bills have shown no trust in Tyrod Taylor, and show little promise on the offensive side of the ball. If the offense stalls early I could project the Bills to have a top 5 pick.
*Minnesota Vikings* - The Vikings are in a pickle at quarterback, and if Sam Bradford fails to repeat last year's numbers the Vikings could fall into full tank mode. Dark horse contenders to draft a franchise quarterback.
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