Should Jets Roll with Sam Darnold?

The New York Jets pick second overall in the draft, so should they stick with their quarterback?

The New York Jets were well represented at BYU quarterback Zach Wilson’s Pro Day on Friday. This led many to believe that the owners of the second pick in the draft could be considering drafting the former Cougars quarterback with the pick. Wilson showed off his tremendous arm talent in the throwing session and was even seen talking with Joe Douglas, the Jets' general manager.

However, Wilson nor the Jets were the attention-getters at the Pro Day, as the San Francisco 49ers traded two extra first-round picks to move up to No. 3 from No. 12 in the draft. The Miami Dolphins then used the draft capital they acquired from the 49ers to move back up to No. 6 with the Philadelphia Eagles.

All of this could mean nothing for the Jets, who have to wait only for the Jacksonville Jaguars to presumably take Trevor Lawrence, the quarterback from Clemson, with the first pick in the draft. However, the Jets have an interesting connection with the 49ers. Head coach Robert Saleh was with the 49ers for four seasons before taking the Jets job. All signs still point to the Jets taking Zach Wilson or their best quarterback available at the moment. However, could Saleh have let the 49ers brass know about the team's plans to not take a quarterback and that’s why the 49ers moved up? Probably not, though we could think about the possible "what if" of the Jets keeping Sam Darnold.

First, let's discuss why they should keep Darnold, who is only three years into his career after being selected third overall. Darnold was a high-level quarterback prospect when he came out of college. Ever since drafting Darnold, the Jets have not been able to field a competitive roster. They have one of the worst records in the league since that trade. Can this be all blamed on Darnold? Absolutely not. Darnold has yet to have an adequate offensive line and been running for his life.

He has also yet to have enought quality weapons around him. His top option has been Jamison Crowder, which leaves a lot to be desired. He also has not had a consistent run game since entering the league. The Le’Veon Bell signing did not work out for the Jets to say the least. Lastly, and surely not least, former head coach Adam Gase did Darnold no favors. The play-calling was questionable and Darnold had no choice but to look bad playing in it. With this perfect storm for failure, it is not fair to judge Darnold’s career just yet.

On the bright side, Douglas has begun to build a better roster. He drafted tackle Mekhi Becton and wide receiver Denzel Mims for Darnold last year, both of whom had excellent rookie seasons. If the Jets were to move on from Darnold this early into his career, they would start the quarterback clock over, but they would lose significant value on Darnold for a draft pick that is still unknown as to whether he would be good or not. Douglas has shown he loves to acquire draft picks, and trading Darnold for a Day-2 pick only three seasons after drafting him in the top three (granted it wasn’t Douglas who drafted him) would be a decent loss in value.

What the Jets could do is trade back from No. 2 if they decide to keep Darnold. The 49ers traded two extra first-round picks for pick No. 3. Imagine what the Jets could get, with that logic, for the second selection, depending on how far the Jets would have to drop. The Carolina Panthers, who have been aggressively searching for their long-term quarterback are a possibility. Imagine a swap of No. 2 and No. 8 along with  a mid-round pick to build around the quarterback you already have in the building, who might be better than all the draft options if given the correct support. Then, additional offensive weapons can be added to maximize his play level.

The biggest argument against keeping Darnold is the quarterback clock. They will have to pay Darnold soon. However, that argument is only valid if there are other players that have to be paid. Darnold will not receive a $40-million dollar per year deal like Dak Prescott. He’d be far more in the range of a Kirk Cousins-esc contract. Then, with all those extra picks, there would be young players on rookie contracts around him as the cap should continue to grow for years. If Darnold is a higher-level quarterback than Cousins, which one could expect him to be with weapons and support, this would be a tremendously team-friendly long-term deal. The quarterback position is such a gamble in the draft, why draft someone that you’re not entirely sure will be better than Darnold when he hasn't had the ability to grow yet. Keep in mind that Darnold is only-23 years-old.

The Jets have already become the catalyst for the NFL Draft. Everything seems to revolved around what the Jets do with the second pick. They probably will still go with the quarterback, but it is important to remember why the other options are so tempting. The Jets should not take a quarterback at the second pick unless they are absolutely sold that he will be better than Darnold with a proper supporting cast. If they are, we will see another quarterback off the board at No. 2. Darnold will then look to revive his career elsewhere. 

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