Because Sam Darnold decided not to throw at the combine, his showing at the USC pro day was more highly anticipated than the rest of the quarterbacks in the 2018 draft class, and Mother Nature added more intrigue to it.
Darnold executed his scripted throwing session in front of a plethora of NFL GMs, head coaches, and scouts -- and 95 percent of it came with a steady downpour on USC's practice field.
The redshirt sophomore wasn't phased by the rain, and his passes didn't lack zip, accuracy, or a tight spiral.
The rain is coming down at @USC_Athletics' Pro Day and Sam Darnold is putting on a show.
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) March 21, 2018
📺: LIVE on NFL Network pic.twitter.com/qUYx19GwCA
By all accounts of those on hand, Darnold absolutely aced his pro day in inclement weather.
Feedback coming in from Sam Darnold's pro day is that he's looked very, very good despite the rain
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) March 21, 2018
Based on observing his Pro Day on TV, Sam Darnold did nothing to hurt himself and did plenty to help himself. With Tyrod Taylor in place, I continue to believe he's going to be the No. 1 pick in the draft. https://t.co/8Z56MjFsJ4
— PatMcManamon (@PatMcManamon) March 21, 2018
So, who, exactly was in attendance for Darnold's pro day? As you can probably imagine, the vast majority of the league was represented in some way, shape, or form on Wednesday morning, but here's an interesting nugget:
Don’t see this everyday... Browns sent their entire scouting army to LA for USC pro day: Owner Jimmy Haslam, HC Hue Jackson and new OC Todd Haley #SamDarnold
— Andrew Groover (@APGroover) March 21, 2018
In his post-practice interview, Darnold said he had dinner Monday night with the Giants, and Tuesday night featured dinner with the Browns. At this point, those are the only two clubs to have an official meeting with him, but many more are sure to follow.
Pro days are typically safe havens for quarterbacks to operate pre-planned and rehearsed throws to familiar wide receivers, and almost all of them are indoors. With USC not having a domed practice facility featuring a full field, NFL decision-makers were afforded the luxury of seeing Darnold throw in a less-than-ideal environment.
To be clear....this is great for the scouts - they NEVER get this opportunity to see guys throw in adverse conditions...Usually it's temperature controlled in pristine conditions. But if he throws well it could really help Darnold
— Danny Kanell (@dannykanell) March 21, 2018
At the combine, the consensus started to form that Josh Allen could be heading to the Browns at No. 1 overall. Over the past few days, that consensus has shifted to Darnold being selected with the first pick, and he definitely did not hurt himself at his pro day.
While Darnold did look very good during today's workout, to me pro days are vastly overrated. However, that doesn't mean they fail to create buzz leading into the draft, and Darnold's has done that.
My issues with Darnold stem from areas of his game that don't pop up during a pro day workout. He has a strange, elongated delivery that disrupts timing on longer passes and provides more opportunity for strip sacks. Also, his pocket presence is still a work in progress, as his feet lead to him getting off balance when under pressure. Lastly, his interception numbers are worrisome.
Overall, Darnold's inherent skills are significantly ahead of 99.9 percent of 20-year-old, redshirt sophomore quarterbacks, and he made some of the most outrageous throws I saw in college football last season.
Where will he end up going in the draft? Obviously no one knows with any certainty at this point, but for teams that play in environments where poor weather can be an issue (read: Cleveland), Wednesday's performance certainly did nothing to hurt his draft stock.