In 2018, the New York Jets needed a quarterback but didn’t have the team or coaching staff to support him. Despite this, they traded to the Indianapolis Colts for the third overall pick that year in a top-heavy draft.
They will draft one of five quarterbacks in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft, Sam Darnold.
This class has proven to be one of the best teams in recent history, producing Baker Mayfield, Lamar Jackson, and Josh Allen. Sam Darnold has been playing well, and he may join them in the success stories of this class. Like Mayfield, Darnold has had to find success somewhere other than where he was drafted.
Darnold was asked about his former team before Sunday’s game, and he gave a somewhat humble answer: “No. I think I had a lot of opportunities in New York. I always felt like I could have played better there.”
It is true that he had opportunities, but the circumstances were not ideal. He now has Kevin O’Connell. At the time, he had Adam Gase. His best receiver was Quincy Enunwa. He now has Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. The conditions were less than ideal, but that doesn’t mean Darnold isn’t holding himself accountable.
Having that mentality, combined with the coaching staff and talented players around him now, explains why he was able to stick with it and eventually break through.
