2018 NFL Draft: New York Jets 7-round mock draft in September

LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 16: Sam Darnold #14 of the USC Trojans makes a pass during the second quarter against the Texas Longhorns at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on September 16, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 16: Sam Darnold #14 of the USC Trojans makes a pass during the second quarter against the Texas Longhorns at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on September 16, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES, CA – SEPTEMBER 16: Sam Darnold #14 of the USC Trojans makes a pass during the second quarter against the Texas Longhorns at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on September 16, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – SEPTEMBER 16: Sam Darnold #14 of the USC Trojans makes a pass during the second quarter against the Texas Longhorns at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on September 16, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

Round 1: Sam Darnold, QB — USC

Nothing Jets do in the coming offseason will be as important as finally finding their quarterback of the future. Their team has struggled to be relevant for years and after swinging and missing on Mark Sanchez in the first round and Geno Smith (then Christian Hackenberg) in the second, they have to try again with a premium pick.

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The problem is they may have messed things up by winning against the Miami Dolphins in Week 3. They no longer are in position to get the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, but let’s have some faith in the train wreck that is the New York Jets — they can still finish with the worst record.

If they do, look for them to snag USC quarterback Sam Darnold and finally have someone they can trust lining up under center. The 6-4, 220-pound Darnold is the next in a long line of USC gun slingers, and despite his struggles to start the 2017 season, he’s still shown enough promise to be the top guy chosen in the draft.

Other options would be Josh Rosen of UCLA, Josh Allen of Wyoming or Mason Rudolph of Oklahoma State. Should the Jets not wind up with the top pick, they will choose whoever they can out of this bunch that’s left. Anyone of them would be an upgrade over their current stable of passers.