2018 NFL Draft Prospects Who Must Step Up in Week 12

Sam Darnold (QB – USC) vs. Josh Rosen (QB – UCLA)

Despite this being the third year at UCLA for Josh Rosen and the second season Sam Darnold’s been the starter at USC, this will be the first time these two highly-touted quarterbacks will meet in this storied rivalry. Two years ago against the Trojans, Rosen barely completed 50 percent of his passes and threw more interceptions (two) than touchdowns (one). He missed last season’s matchup because of injury, a game in which Darnold led the Trojans to a seventh consecutive victory. Not only will this game have an impact in the Pac-12, but it will impact the 2018 NFL Draft as well.

After getting off to a poor start, rumors began to swirl that Darnold would be returning to USC in 2018. These rumors peaked when the Trojans lost to Notre Dame. However, USC is once again finishing strong. Darnold is averaging over 300 yards and has thrown seven touchdowns compared to just one interception during USC’s three-game winning streak. The Trojans are now just two wins away from another Pac-12 championship. Will Darnold consider entering the 2018 NFL Draft again? Only time will tell, but a strong finish would certainly put him back into the discussion for the first-overall pick.

For Rosen, his stock is heading in the opposite direction. He had a fantastic start to the season, including a Tom Brady-esque performance to erase a 34-point deficit against Texas A&M in the opener. His stock came crashing down in mid-October with a poor outing against Arizona and hit a low point a couple of weeks later when he sustained a concussion against Washington. Fortunately, he’s back with the Bruins and will play against Darnold and the Trojans Saturday night.

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With so much on the line for these two quarterbacks, it would be a huge surprise if both teams didn’t come out firing. Hopefully, this is a back-and-forth affair that will be decided by the arms of these two first-round talents. Whether it’s at the 2018 NFL Draft, or in 2019, both Darnold and Rosen should hear their names called very early in round one.