New York Jets: Jarrett Stidham should be targeted in 2018 NFL Draft

Everyone knows the big quarterback names in the 2018 NFL Draft, but the guy fans of the New York Jets should be eyeing is Auburn’s Jarrett Stidham.

Normally when evaluating quarterbacks, it’s safe to go with an experienced player who’s won and shows the tangible skills most scouts look for. Sometimes, though, you should stray from convention and go with your gut. The New York Jets should do just that with Auburn quarterback Jarrett Stidham.

Stidham doesn’t have the name value of Sam Darnold or Josh Rosen, or even that of what most would consider the next group behind that duo — Mason Rudolph, Baker Mayfield, and Lamar Jackson. That said, he has shown something on the field that none of them can show: football intelligence.

The aforementioned players have shown talent, but Stidham has too. They may also possess football intelligence in the sense that they can go to the whiteboard and show you plays and diagnose things on the field. However, his intelligence is different, and is the one thing that is getting overlooked.

Most college quarterbacks who enter the NFL play their entire college career under one system. In his freshman season, in 10 games (three starts), Stidham played in the Baylor Air-Raid system. It’s a one-read system design to make quarterbacks look good. He completed nearly 70 percent of his passes and had a 6-1 touchdown-interception ratio.

Then, he transferred to a junior college that didn’t have a football program. Then, he chose Auburn as his next destination. That’s where his football intelligence is showing. His numbers aren’t as gaudy as they were at Baylor, but no one could really expect that. That said, he’s still completing over 65 percent of his passes and has nearly a 4-1 touchdown-interception ratio.

After a year away from football, he’s still able to adapt to the game, and under a completely new system. He’s showing that he can learn how to play under a different system, like he’d likely have to do in the NFL. Add to it that he has the arm strength and athleticism necessary to be an NFL quarterback.

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The leap from Auburn to the NFL is much greater than Baylor to Auburn. However, he’s shown he’s capable of adapting and learning, and, if he declares, Jets scouts should see that and think he has true pro potential.