Here's how the Jets can get the most out of Sam Darnold and his natural talent
Darnold is ahead of most quarterbacks his age, but that doesn't mean the Jets should rush him onto the field
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In Sam Darnold, the Jets have a quarterback well beyond his years in many key areas of playing the position.
But they have to be patient with him.
Because alongside NFL-veteran-like decisions and unbelievably well-placed throws are plays typical for a 20-year-old signal-caller with 24 collegiate starts on his resume.
Philip Rivers was a popular comparison for Darnold during the pre-draft process, and while their aggressive styles and uncommon deliveries are similar, their time in college was not.
Rivers was a four-year starter at NC State and actually threw more than double the amount of passes Darnold did before entering the NFL (1,710 vs. 864). Beyond that, Rivers essentially sat for two full seasons in the pros before taking over the Chargers' starting gig in 2006.
To be reasonable in the instant-gratification society we live in today, I'm not suggesting Darnold should hold a clipboard in the NFL for as long as Rivers did. But the Jets absolutely do not need to rush him onto the field.
Calmly dealing with pressure as a passer -- especially while staying inside the pocket -- seems to come with experience at the college level, which is why it's not surprising Baker Mayfield, Mason Rudolph and Josh Rosen were the best in that regard among the top quarterbacks in the 2018 draft.
Darnold is athletic enough and possesses the accuracy and anticipatory skills to create big plays while improvising, but if you watch any of his 2017 games, you'll notice a handful of plays with antsy footwork, particularly as pressure mounts.
Per Sports Info Solutions, these were Darnold's statistics under pressure in his final season at USC:
| Sam Darnold | Completions/Attempts | Completion % | Yards/YPA | TD/INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Under pressure | 70/146 | 47.9 | 1178/8.0 | 8/7 |
Under pressure inside the pocket | 48/90 | 53.3 | 730/8.1 | 4/6 |
Last year, per Pro Football Focus, the Jets offense line allowed 26 sacks on 577 drop backs, which equated to the fourth-highest sack-per-drop-back rate in football. Gang Green's blocking unit surrendered 177 pressures on those 577 drop backs, the eighth-highest pressure-per-drop back percentage in the NFL.
New York didn't add any substantial offensive line talents in free agency and none of their 2018 draft picks were offensive linemen.
The last thing the Jets want to do is put their prized, youthful quarterback on the field in a situation likely to accentuate his bad habits. A porous offensive line is the most detrimental aspect of a signal-caller's early development, as it can lead to a passer initially worrying about pressure after the snap instead of focusing on route concepts and coverages down the field. The best quarterbacks operate with the opposite thinking.
This offseason, New York shrewdly re-signed Josh McCown, who many believe to be the consummate veteran quarterback/spot starter, and Teddy Bridgewater, a refined former first-round pick who looked to be on the fast track to stardom before suffering a brutal leg injury two years ago.
Ideally for the Jets, next season when, presumably, the offensive line is bolstered and more receiving threats are added to the roster, Darnold would take over as the starter on a team beginning to make noise in the AFC. By then, he'd have received ample coaching on how to fine-tune his footwork and rein in some of his gunslinger ways that got him into trouble in the turnover department last season.
Without constant pressure, Darnold can flourish.
When kept clean in 2017, the former USC quarterback was fantastic, completing 204 of 296 attempts with a 68.9 completion percentage. He also had 15 touchdowns against four interceptions, throwing for 2,632 yards (8.8 YPA) when kept clean in 2017, according to Sports Info Solutions.
I know it'll be difficult, but the Jets should have a true quarterback competition in training camp and throughout the preseason, and Darnold should have to blow them away all summer to get the starting job as a rookie at the outset of the regular season.
Because for as many "wow" plays as he's capable of at his age without the typical amount of collegiate experience for a top-5 pick, Darnold does play like a normal, young signal-caller at times, and the Jets shouldn't put the long-term success of the franchise at risk for the sake of potential short-term sizzle the No. 3 overall pick could bring in 2018.
