Things fell the right way and the New York Jets were able to land USC’s Sam Darnold.
The New York Jets knew when they traded up to the No. 3 overall pick they wanted a quarterback. Their problem was they had no idea who would be available. That’s one of the problems with making a trade weeks before the draft. However, they lucked out by landing Sam Darnold.
New York can now utilize a veteran quarterback room including Josh McCown to help Darnold develop.
Darnold has the talent and feel for the position to be a quick contributor. His strong throwing arm is paired nicely with a quick release and natural accuracy. The Jets can now move forward feeling confident they have someone in the building with some major upside.
However, this isn’t the end for the Jets as they need to surround Darnold with talent. The wide receiver position needs a lot of work and the offensive line lacks high end talent. New York’s running game also won’t provide Darnold with much help.
The Jets don’t have a ton of draft capital at this point thanks to the trade they made to move up and land Darnold. This going to be a multi-year rebuild that will require a balance of strong drafts and smart free agent signings.
However, New York has to feel like they have the most important position solved. Darnold still needs to get on the field an produce, but he gives the Jets someone with legitimate talent and a strong work ethic.