New York Jets: Could Sam Darnold actually fall to No. 3?

Bucky Brooks of NFL.com has the New York Jets landing Sam Darnold, and for all the people who said the Jets couldn’t even lose right, it would be a fitting pick.

Well, we have irony building in the 2018 NFL Draft for the New York Jets, and it’s kind of apropos. In his latest mock draft, NFL.com’s Bucky Brooks has the Cleveland Browns taking Josh Allen and the New York Giants taking Bradley Chubb at first and second overall, respectively. That leaves the door open for the Jets to finally land the best quarterback in a draft class.

In sort of an ironic twist — almost nine years to the day of Round 1 of the 2009 NFL Draft on April 25 — the Jets made a trade with the Cleveland Browns to move up to the No. 5 overall pick in the draft. In that draft, they took a USC quarterback who wasn’t ready for the NFL, by many accounts, including his own coach. In this mock draft the Jets take a pro-ready USC quarterback who (according to scouts) has the highest ceiling and highest floor — almost bust proof.

Where the irony comes in is that the current NFL backup quarterback whom the Jets took No. 5 overall was just suspended for use of performance enhancing drugs. Of course, it’s Mark Sanchez.

Some fans hated the fact that the Jets kept winning this past season — another bit of irony. Those that thought losing was the best course to land Darnold were mad, because the Jets “couldn’t even lose right.”

If the draft does play out as Brooks predicts, then the Jets lost just enough to build a winning mentality while having enough draft capital to move up to get the best quarterback in the draft.

Next: 2018 NFL Mock Draft: Full 7-Round projection

If Allen goes No. 1, and the Giants stay at No. 2 and don’t draft a quarterback, then the obvious choice is Darnold. It’s amazing how things work out sometimes. Maybe, just maybe, not tanking was the right option for the Jets after all.