2018 NFL Draft: Key strengths and weaknesses for Sam Darnold

Sam Darnold is one of the prized prospects of the 2018 NFL Draft class. What are Darnold’s strengths and weaknesses heading into the draft process?

One of the words that NFL fans must either know or familiarize themselves is, “Polarizing.” It’s a powerful word that’s often thrown around about top prospects, and it carries a definition of, “To divide into sharply opposing factions.”

As the 2018 NFL Draft approaches, one could comfortably remark that no prospect is quite as polarizing as former USC Trojans quarterback Sam Darnold.

Darnold burst on to the scene as a redshirt freshman, when he all but singlehandedly turned USC’s season around. The Trojans started 1-3, but compiled a record of 9-1 after Darnold replaced Max Browne as the starting quarterback.

That includes a legendary performance in the Rose Bowl, when Darnold threw for 453 yards and five touchdowns in an iconic 52-49 win over the Penn State Nittany Lions.

With teams game-planning for the rising star in 2017, however, the results weren’t quite as impressive. Darnold still threw for 4,143 yards and 26 touchdowns, but he experience issues that began to call his NFL readiness into question.

Thus, as the 2018 NFL Draft approaches and teams in the top five weigh the pros and cons of drafting Sam Darnold, fans either love or hate the idea of him as a franchise quarterback.

The question: What makes him special and what might be reason to stay away from USC’s polarizing field general?