2018 NFL Draft: Sam Darnold & Josh Rosen declare

Two of the top quarterbacks are both leaving California for the 2018 NFL Draft

The 2018 NFL Draft class continues to grow, and now the California quarterbacks are leaving school and declaring.

USC’s Sam Darnold and UCLA’s Josh Rosen both decided to forgo their collegiate eligibility Wednesday night and declare for the 2018 NFL Draft.

Rosen’s choice was far from surprising with Chip Kelly entering the Bruin’s program and little room for improvement in Rosen’s game. A three-year starter for UCLA Rosen threw 59 career touchdowns with 26 interceptions, which included a dramatic decrease in turnovers as he matured.

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Darnold, on the other hand, was a bigger question mark despite entering the 2017 season as the projected number one overall pick. A down year combined with a Cotton Bowl loss brought speculation towards whether Darnold would leave the program. As a redshirt sophomore Darnold threw 26 touchdowns with 13 interceptions.

Both quarterbacks project to be top-10 picks in the draft, and one is likely to land with the Cleveland Browns, who own both the first and fourth overall pick after a trade with Houston.

It’s likely the pair go back-to-back at the top of the draft with the Browns and New York Giants at the top, both needing quarterbacks of the future.

Rosen’s floor is higher than Darnold’s, although Darnold’s potential ceiling is likely higher than Rosen’s. Many project Rosen to be NFL ready once his name is called in Dallas this spring, while Darnold may need a redshirt year to develop. Darnold played just 27 games for USC and saw an increase in turnovers as a redshirt sophomore.

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Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield and Wyoming’s Josh Allen will likely compete with Rosen and Darnold for the top quarterback spot in the 2018 NFL Draft.

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