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New York Giants: Sam Darnold over Josh Rosen in 2018 NFL Draft

By Michael Pallas

LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 18: Josh Rosen #3 of the UCLA Bruins and Sam Darnold #14 of the USC Trojans meet on the field after a 28-23 Trojan win at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on November 18, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 18: Josh Rosen #3 of the UCLA Bruins and Sam Darnold #14 of the USC Trojans meet on the field after a 28-23 Trojan win at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on November 18, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
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The New York Giants appear headed to a top-five pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, and they must take Sam Darnold over Josh Rosen, if they take a quarterback.

Back in 2011, after a 135-day lockout, the NFL and NFLPA ratified a new collective bargaining agreement. In said agreement, practice time was limited. During the 17-week season, NFL teams are only permitted to hold 14 padded practices, 11 of which must be held during the first 11 weeks.

It also limits the preseason workouts and practices as well. That stipulation actually hurts one group of players the most, offensive linemen. That’s the reason the New York Giants should take a less refined quarterback in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft.

The negative effect on the linemen means it takes longer for them to develop cohesion and chemistry. So it can take many weeks during the regular season for a line to get in sync with each other. That means a quarterback like Josh Rosen doesn’t fit in today’s NFL, and that’s unfortunate, because he’s very talented.

In the annual USC-UCLA game, Rosen showed he was much more NFL-ready than Sam Darnold, his USC counterpart. In fact, that game proved that Darnold needed more refinement in college before declaring for the draft. That said, if he declares, Darnold should be taken by the Giants over Rosen.

Rosen checks all the boxes when compared to Darnold. He’s more accurate, better under pressure, and he’s a better deep ball thrower. There’s one check mark Rosen is missing, and it’s a key factor in selecting Darnold over him. That’s mobility.

With that said, Rosen can climb the pocket with the best of them, but he won’t be able to escape NFL edge rushers like Darnold can. In today’s NFL, mobility is a key factor. Pocket passing hasn’t gone by the wayside, but the “moving pocket” has become more prevalent in the NFL in order to prevent sacks, and a team needs a more mobile quarterback than Rosen to make that happen.

Next: 2018 NFL Mock Draft: Giants replace Eli

Say what you will about Darnold’s limitations right now, but Rosen is very limited in terms of mobility. He’s the more refined quarterback of the two, and even though he will be a first round pick, he’s just not mobile enough for the NFL of 2018.

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