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?
Strength: Ball Placement
Throwing into coverage is something that winning coaches prefer their quarterbacks refrain from doing. It may lead to gaudy statistics, but it’s a high-risk, high-reward type of approach to the game if it’s your primary method of offensive execution.
When it comes down to the final stretch of a game, however, it’s on the quarterback to be able to fit the ball into tight windows—and Sam Darnold can do exactly that.
There may not have been a better quarterback in the country at making throws into the back of the end zone than Darnold. He has an uncanny ability to go over the top of a defense in a tight spot, yet still put the ball in a position where his receivers can make a realistic play on the ball.
With the ability to make accurate throws at all three levels, Darnold should be easy to plug into whichever system he’s placed in—and would have elite potential in a West Coast offense.
Furthermore, Darnold is one of the best in this draft class at making accurate throws on the run. It’s a difficult strength to master, but in the modern NFL, that type of mobility and accuracy outside the pocket is nothing short of crucial.
Darnold may not have the rifle of Dan Marino, but the accuracy of his throws is what most intrigues scouts—and it stands to reason that it should translate to the NFL.
Weakness: Ball Security
The USC Trojans witnessed the good, the bad, and the ugly with quarterback Sam Darnold. After taking care of the ball as a redshirt freshman, the issue that Darnold struggled most with as a sophomore became ball security.
Whether it’s throwing an interception or failing to protect the ball when he scrambles, Darnold has a tendency to take chances that he shouldn’t be taking.
Darnold threw 13 interceptions during his sophomore season, which has inevitably caused some to question his NFL readiness. Beyond the numbers, he tested his limits as a thrower by too often forcing throws into tight coverage.
As previously alluded to: Doing so situationally is what makes a quarterback great, but doing it too often is what makes a quarterback—and more importantly, a team—vulnerable.
In addition to needing to make better decisions as a passer, Darnold must be more responsible when he’s holding the ball. He keeps the ball loosely protected, which creates the possibility of a strip sack or a forced fumble when he tuck it and runs.
These are all correctable flaws, but Darnold is the only one who can control the decisions he makes on the field. Thus far, his decision-making has been questionable.
Strength: Physical Gifts
The 2018 NFL Draft features a number of quarterbacks with intriguing physical gifts. Between powerful arms, agile hips, and explosive feet, there’s no shortage of promising talent in what’s shaping up to be an intriguing draft class.
What separates Sam Darnold from the pack, however, is that he may be the most difficult quarterback to bring down in the pocket—and he’s still growing into his body.
Darnold is listed at 6’4″ and 220 pounds, and it stands to reason that the 20-year-old will continue to add muscle to his frame. Even at his current size stature, he’s a difficult player to bring down due to his unique combination of size, strength, and elusiveness.
While Darnold is far from an explosive athlete, he has the mobility to work outside the pocket, the craftiness to escape a tackler’s grasp, and the speed to pick up a first down with his feet.
Furthermore, while Darnold may not have the most powerful arm in this draft class, he can make all of the throws. He puts the ball where it needs to be and gets enough strength behind his passes to avoid throwing ducks.
Between his size, mobility, toughness, and ability to throw on the run, there are clear on-field similarities to Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
Weakness: Throwing Motion
One of the biggest knocks against Sam Darnold is that his throwing motion isn’t exactly fluid. It’s somewhere in between Byron Leftwich and Russell Wilson, although I’m more inclined to learn towards the latter—and there isn’t much wrong with that.
Nevertheless, Darnold has acknowledged that this is an issue by working to retool his throwing motion—a sign that even he knows it can be problematic.
Darnold puts a significant amount of pressure on his elbow with the way he cocks the ball back and rifles it forward. That doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll suffer an injury, but it’s an issue that he’s proactively addressing—a positive sign, at the very least.
Beyond the injury concerns, Darnold needs to shorten his throwing motion if he’s going to be able to get the ball out quickly in the NFL—a key for all quarterbacks.
Darnold may not be drafted into a situation with a stable offensive line, which could make this an even greater priority. Furthermore, edge defenders in the NFL are more athletic than ever before, meaning an elongated motion will put Darnold in danger of being strip sacked.
Darnold is actively working to address this issue, but it’s something that teams will likely be testing when he comes in for individual NFL Draft workouts.
Strength: Being Clutch
This may sound like a contradictory statement, but the turnovers don’t change that Sam Darnold displays impressive poise under pressure. He’ll need to limit the chances he takes as a passer, but in the face of adversity, he tends to rise to the occasion.
There are clear examples of him rushing throws, but the raw talent and veteran poise are undeniable—and that’s what makes his untapped potential such an intriguing NFL Draft asset.
Darnold isn’t afraid to make throws in the face of pressure, which is a more difficult trait to find in a quarterback than one might presume. He has a tendency to rush throws, but that’s more a product of his overeagerness than his fear when a lineman is closing in on him.
Darnold can stand tall in the pocket and get the ball where it needs to be, regardless of what the pocket around him is shaping up to be.
Furthermore, one of the primary reasons Darnold became a household name were his performances on big stages. He may have struggled in the 2018 Cotton Bowl, but he had an unforgettable performance in the 2017 Rose Bowl, and routinely stepped up in the clutch for USC.
No one will have a 100 percent success rate during the big moments, but Darnold has more than enough strong showings to imply that he’s built for the grandest stage.
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The question is: Where will Sam Darnold land at the 2018 NFL Draft?