Sam Darnold to NFL teams: Don’t tank for me
Suck for Sam Darnold is the latest trend in the NFL right now, but the USC quarterback isn’t a fan of the concept
No quarterback is gathering a larger following heading towards the 2017 college football season than USC’s Sam Darnold, and rightfully so. After bringing the Trojans back from the dead midway through their season en route to the Rose Bowl, Darnold is this years consensus number one pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.
After bringing the Trojans back from the dead midway through their season en route to the Rose Bowl, Darnold is this years consensus number one pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.
Similar to the Indianapolis Colts campaign to “Suck for Luck,” teams such as the New York Jets appear to have their eyes on Darnold.
Appearing on SportsCenter with Michael Smith and Jemele Hill, Darnold was asked about his chances to win the Heisman and teams not putting out their best 53-men to necessarily win.
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Darnold wasn’t too keen on teams tanking a season to have the best chances of drafting him, but knows it’s a story.
"Darnold: “I don’t really have many thoughts about that, but I’ve definitely heard of it.”Jemele Hill: “Are you flattered by it a little bit?”Darnold: “Yeah, you’ve gotta be, but you know, I don’t think any team should tank their season because of me.”"
When asked if he would consider staying at USC, which has been rumored, Darnold stated he’s taking it one year at a time
Darnold’s full interview can be seen below.
Despite a mechanics issue with his throwing motion being too long, Darnold is appraised as the best quarterback prospect since Andrew Luck.
In his redshirt freshman season for the Trojans Darnold threw 31 touchdowns and nine interceptions with 3086 yards replacing Browne.
New York has been heavily connected with Darnold after failing to draft a quarterback in 2017. They enter another season with Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg as development projects and veteran Josh McCown now in the room.
Cleveland drafted DeShone Kiser this year, who will compete with Cody Kessler this offseason for the starting job.
New Orleans and the Los Angeles Chargers have aging quarterbacks with no apparent heir, making Darnold a potential target. Minnesota, Jacksonville, the New York Giants, Los Angeles Rams, Buffalo, Miami, and Arizona also have questions regarding the quarterback position.
Next: Sam Darnold Scouting Report
Time will tell if Darnold does leave and if a team such as the Jets enters the 2018 NFL Draft still needing a quarterback. Until then enjoy the kid’s collegiate career while you can, cause it’s going to be special.