We still have several weeks remaining in the college football season, but through seven weeks, players have already started to position themselves as potential first round picks in the 2018 NFL Draft.
Of course, much can change not only over the course of these next two months, but also with who declares for the draft and who stands out at the NFL Scouting Combine in the spring.
The NFL Draft is set for April 26-28 with the host city yet to be determined. Also, of note, Houston has already traded its first round pick to Cleveland and Kansas City the same to Buffalo.
The draft order has been put together courtesy the latest Super Bowl odds for this week.
There are some out there on social media who believe Southern Cal quarterback Sam Darnold will ignore the glitz and glamour of the NFL and return to the Trojans for another season.
But would he really?
The idea of playing for San Francisco might not be at the top of Darnold’s list, but being the overall No. 1 pick and all that comes with it could just be too hard to pass up. And he is a California kid, so remaining right in the heart of his city would be a nice fit.
The biggest thing separating Darnold from Pac-12 rival Josh Rosen of UCLA is that “it” factor.
When you listen to the announcers call a Trojan game with Darnold, they just seem to constantly refer back to it. While he isn’t on the same level of Aaron Rodgers or Tom Brady yet – or even close – you can see why they like him.
Darnold will make what is viewed as a bad pass, only to rebound on the very next drive and lead USC to the end zone.
Why is that? Because he isn’t bothered by making errors.
Many college quarterbacks completely get down on themselves for throwing a pick or not hitting the right target. Darnold knows more chances will come and he’s already thinking about that pass.
On the year, the 6-foot-4, 220-pound redshirt sophomore has thrown for 2,063 yards and 15 touchdowns with nine interceptions.