NFL Mock Draft 2018: Updated first round after Week 9
30. . QB. USC. Sam Darnold. 3. player
The New York Jets have a problem at the quarterback position. Ever since the much maligned butt-fumble things have never truly clicked for the Jets under center. This year is no exception. Josh McCown is the starter for now, but backups Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg haven’t done much to separate themselves. If they can’t beat out McCown, there is much reason to think they have a long term future in New York.
The Jets have drafted nine quarterbacks in the last 11 years, but they did not take a passer last year. After a one year hiatus it’s time to go back to the well, this time for Sam Darnold.
If Josh Rosen does indeed surpass Darnold in the pecking order it won’t be by much. There are way too many quarterback-needy teams in the NFL for Darnold to fall much further and it’s going to take a massive implosion for Darnold to hear his name called outside the top five picks.
The gap, at least for now, between Rosen and Darnold is razor-thin. After those two Pac-12 passer the next quarterback off the board is much more uncertain. Darnold had one of his better games of the season in Week 9, throwing for 266 yards and three touchdowns in a win over Arizona State.