NFL: Ranking the Top QBs
1. Sam Darnold (USC): Darnold is projected as the No. 1 pick in the upcoming NFL Draft, which will begin on April 26th, and we have the Cleveland Browns taking him. It seems like this is nearly a foregone conclusion, and for good reason. In two years for the Trojans, Darnold complied 7,229 yards, 57 touchdowns, and 64.9 percent passing. He also led USC to a 21-6 record in the two previous years, earning a Rose Bowl victory and a Pac-12 title. He knows how to win and has all of the intangibles needed to be successful in the league.
2. Josh Rosen (UCLA): This is where we differ in my rankings to our Mock Draft Vol. 3. I think Rosen is far and away better than Allen (More on that later). Rosen dealt with injuries for much of his career, but when he was on the field, he was dynamite. Although the team around him was not as good as, say Darnold's, Rosen was able to single handily keep the Bruins in games. He threw for 3,756 yards, 26 touchdowns, and 10 picks last year. For his career, Rosen totaled 59 touchdowns and 26 interceptions. He should be the second QB selected.
3. Baker Mayfield (Oklahoma): Again, I'm going against the grain a little bit on this one because I haven't seen any mock drafts that have Mayfield as the third quarterback taken off the board, but I think he should be. If it weren't for the off-the-field issues, I would probably have him ahead of Rosen as well. He just knows how to make plays. It's simple. He isn't Johnny Manziel like a lot of observers like to compare him to, he's more Russell Wilson. Mayfield's stats from last year speak for themselves: 4,627 yards, 43 touchdowns, and only six (!) picks.
4. Josh Allen (Wyoming): The former Wyoming QB is very talented and has an NFL-like stature, but he hasn't even come close to proving himself against talented opponents. People like to draw the comparison to Carson Wentz, just because they both went to lower level colleges. Allen went to Wyoming and Wentz attended North Dakota State. The difference? Wentz was apart of a senior class that went 57-4 and won four FCS titles while Allen went 16-11 in two years of starting. Wentz will be a good player. Not great.
5. Lamar Jackson (Louisville): I think Darnold and Mayfield are going to be the two best QBs from this class, but Jackson has all of the tools to be right up there with them. It'd be a safer bet to go with Rosen or Allen because you know what you're going to get with them, but Jackson could be better. Heck, he's already proven to be far more effective in the college game. While the pros are way different, Jackson is fast, tall, and has a canon of an arm. What's not to like? He has a negative stigma placed on him, but Jackson's going to prove all of the haters wrong!
Photo Credit: Sporting News.
