Despite the overwhelming expectation that Sam Darnold is a lock No. 1 overall pick, what do the New York Jets do at No. 3 if the Browns take Josh Allen?
The top four quarterbacks in the 2018 NFL Draft are Josh Allen, Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield and Josh Rosen in some order. When the New York Jets traded with the Indianapolis Colts to move up to No. 3 overall, they guaranteed themselves a shot at drafting one of those four. There’s a reasonable chance that the Jets can land one of the top two quarterbacks in the draft, Rosen and Darnold.
Picking at No. 1, however, is the Cleveland Browns. And many believe that they will take Darnold with that selection. However, nothing is a formality in the NFL Draft. Many times throughout history, teams have been blinded by a player’s attributes, even if he’s not the obvious right choice.
You can see why the Browns would want Allen at No. 1. He’s definitely built to handle the elements you’d expect to see in AFC North games late in the season, and he can handle throwing in the harsh conditions too. That said, Darnold and Rosen seem to have more of the traits you want in a franchise quarterback, and if Allen goes No. 1, the Jets are guaranteed to land one of them and could have their choice of either.
When it comes to the top two quarterbacks, Rosen is the most pro-ready now, and probably could start immediately for the Jets. Darnold, however, has the biggest upside. So, the Jets would be in the cat bird seat if they could have their choice of either.
Former UCLA head coach Jim Mora Jr. recently said that of the two, Darnold would be a better fit in Cleveland and Rosen would best fit in on one of the New York teams. Either would fit well in New York, though. Truthfully, there shouldn’t be any qualms about either of them handling the spotlight in New York, because they both played college football in Los Angeles, the second-biggest media market in the country.
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The Jets may finally have their franchise quarterback. Even though some fans are clamoring for Baker Mayfield, there’s not doubt that Darnold and Rosen are better choices. If the Browns select Josh Allen at No. 1 overall, the Jets are in the perfect situation to finally land the franchise quarterback they’ve been looking for.