Denver Broncos: Let’s draft Sam Darnold
By Bruce Matson
The Denver Broncos are out of the playoffs, and that means it’s time to get ready for the NFL Draft. Let’s take a look at Sam Darnold.
Sam Darnold is considered one of the top quarterback prospects in next year’s draft. He will definitely be drafted in the first round and could potentially get drafted first overall. The Denver Broncos should have a top ten pick in the draft which will put them in striking distance if they want to select Darnold as their first round pick.
In 2016, as a redshirt freshman, Darnold passed for 3,086 yards and 31 touchdowns while tossing just nine interceptions. He was a very accurate passer, completing 67.2 percent of his passes. Darnold had four games where he surpassed the 300-yard-mark. His best game of the season came against Penn State in the Rose Bowl where he passed for 453 yards and five touchdowns, leading the USC Trojans to a 52-49 victory.
This season, he passed for 4,143 yards, 26 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He completed 63.1 percent of his passes while also accumulating a 148.1 passer rating. Darnold’s best game came against Utah where he passed for 358 yards and three touchdowns. He eclipsed the 300-yard-mark in seven games this season.
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Darnold is a very intriguing prospect, because he’s touted as one of the best quarterbacks in this draft class, but he’s also proclaimed as one of the most riskiest prospects in the draft. His arm strength and his ability to move around in the pocket to avoid the pass rush makes him a high level quarterback prospect.
He turned the ball over 20 times this season, with 13 interceptions and seven fumbles lost. A lot of people questioned Darnold’s decision making this season, because there were games where he made a lot of simple mistakes while being off on a lot of his throws. If anything, his consistency might be the biggest draw back to his game. In one game, he will look like the best quarterback in the country and in another game, he looks he’s not ready to enter the NFL.
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Darnold still hasn’t officially declared for the NFL Draft, but it’s highly likely that he’s going to enter the draft this year. I wouldn’t be surprised if he returned to USC to play another year, but he should strike while the iron is hot and come out for the draft now and take advantage of his current draft status. He has the chance to be the first player selected in the draft. The odds of him falling out of the first round of the draft is highly unlikely.
The Broncos will have a pick in the top six or higher if they lose to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 17. They will be in striking distance at landing Darnold in the draft. He could potentially fall to him at six, because there are other quarterbacks that could sneak ahead of him in the draft. If that happens, then the Broncos could be looking at Darnold as their starting quarterback for the future. If Denver does get the opportunity to draft him, then they will need to put the white gloves on during his developmental process and make sure he’s 100 percent ready to play at a high level when the team decides the time is right to make him the team’s starting quarterback.
Denver needs to make a move at quarterback this offseason and if they can’t land anyone in free agency then the draft will be the next best available option. Darnold will be a suitable option for Denver’s first round pick. He might not be ready for week one of next season, but he would eventually develop into the team’s starting quarterback. This wouldn’t be a bad pick for the Broncos, because they need to make a move at quarterback, considering they don’t have any suitable options on the roster.
Grabbing a quarterback in free agency is the best option for the team, because it will allow them to compete and instantly put together a playoff run. If the team decides to draft a quarterback, then it might be a few years before the team garners a return on their investment. Denver needs to add talent to the quarterback position no matter what and the worst thing they can do is remain idle during the offseason.