New York Giants 2018 Draft Targets: Sam Darnold

The New York Giants are in a great position for the 2018 NFL Draft as they can address quarterback in a big way, potentially with Sam Darnold.

At the moment, Sam Darnold isn’t ready for the NFL. That said, if he declares for the 2018 NFL Draft, the New York Giants could be in a good situation at quarterback for years to come.

Darnold should probably stay in school to polish his game a little more, but they can give him one season to work out the kinks if they draft him with the second overall pick. If he declares, and the Cleveland Browns go with Josh Rosen, the Giants, if they don’t sign a free agent quarterback, can keep Eli Manning for one season, and allow Sam Darnold to learn for a season.

Darnold has one major flaw in his game, and it’s his footwork. He looks to escape too early, he has happy feet in the pocket, and that can cause passes to sail when he doesn’t set them properly. Besides that, he has the size, arm strength, accuracy, and leadership that teams want in their quarterbacks.

Grade: Top 5 pick

There are two buzzwords that people like to use at draft time, potential and upside. Darnold’s ability to play in the NFL will be based on conjecture and those two buzzwords. He will need to work on his feet, and he could use another year in college to settle them down, especially since the two teams that could select him have offensive line issues.

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He has a lot of talent, and can be a good or great pro. His game isn’t completely polished, and could use a little bit of work. That said, he’s capable of making all the NFL throws, if he settles his feet down.