Sam Darnold’s Creativity and Potential Make Him a Worthy Dynasty Investment
With Baker Mayfield on a quest to end the Cleveland Browns’ quarterback curse and overall futility, fellow draft classmate Sam Darnold is attempting to do the very same for the New York Jets. At 22 years old, Darnold has plenty of time left to develop to his full potential, and it’s the kind of excitement that Gang Green really hasn’t had at the position in a long time.
At first glance, Darnold’s stats don’t offer a whole lot. In his rookie season, he completed 57.7% of his passes for 2,865 yards, 17 touchdowns, 15 interceptions, and a 77.6 passer rating. But looking beyond traditional stats shows an extremely raw yet talented young passer, and that was also shown in his last four games. In that time span, Darnold completed 64% of his passes for 931 yards, six touchdowns and just one interception for a 99.1 passer rating.
While his December stretch showcased the potential he displayed, Darnold still provided enough flashes of quality before then to be optimistic about his future. No one’s going to argue that he doesn’t have flaws, and I think that’s apparent for any rookie that starts off in the NFL, but for me the positives outweigh the negatives.
So let’s talk about what there is to like about Sam Darnold and why there is a case to make an investment in him for your dynasty team.
These two plays above showcase how good Darnold’s accuracy can be throwing into tight windows. Like fellow USC alumni Carson Palmer, he’s aggressive attacking and anticipating receivers creating tiny windows to fit the ball into. This can lead to interceptions, giving it a high risk but also high reward as these two plays show.
The first one at Cleveland is particularly impressive because Darnold makes this throw from his own end zone, and in the second one he’s on the run but still manages to throw his receiver open with crazy precision.
In today’s league and behind weaker supporting casts, just this might not be enough for a quarterback. We’ve seen this with players like Sam Bradford, who have had incredible accuracy and great throws under pressure in the pocket, but when they’re forced to make plays on the run, the lack of mobility kills them. This isn’t a deal-breaker though, as Tom Brady, Philip Rivers, Drew Brees and Matt Ryan have made up with their lack of great mobility with their high-precision passing and quick instincts, but with exceptions extra help is needed.
Fortunately Darnold has plenty of mobility in his tank.
This is a simple but effective play Darnold makes on the run. He waits until the last possible second to find an open receiver, does so, and pulls the trigger.
Going further into Darnold’s mobility, this not only helps him escape the pocket and make something happen on the run, but also allows him to find all sorts of insane angles to throw the ball from.
Let’s take a look at the play below for example.
There’s a cliche saying in the NFL that some skills can’t be taught. This is a legitimate case where this isn’t teachable. It’s simply an astounding unveiling of natural athleticism and playmaking ability. The way he’s somehow able to maneuver himself and find an off balance but perfect position to throw the ball to is a rare feat, especially for a rookie. I don’t think this can be done on a consistent basis, but it shows us the creativity Darnold has as a quarterback, which is part of the appeal in watching him.
Darnold’s creativity as a passer is further enhanced with his discipline as a pocket passer. Here the Lions send a stunt to cause interior pressure, but the quarterback tucks the ball in and keeps his eyes up. Already in his debut game he has this down naturally.
With that level of discipline intact, that’s when Darnold’s running ability has to be a focal point, which it becomes. The throw here isn’t all that precise, and in fact it’s surprising that it wasn’t ruled incomplete, but the rookie’s ability to make this play possible with his movement, smooth mechanics and mobility are what really matter. And best of all it’s fun watching this!
Finally, for a more traditional pocket play, check out this clip above. The Bears send a stunt on Darnold’s near side, and the pocket condenses then collapses. For any rookie quarterback this is a stressful environment to be in, but Darnold finds a way to make it work.
Darnold makes subtle climbs up the pocket, and stays on his assignment until the last possible moment. Right before he can get sacked, he gets rid of this pass into the arms of an open receiver. It looks simple but Darnold’s ability to remain cool and collected when the pocket is breaking down is huge for a quarterback his age, and can only improve from this point forward.
With all this said, I do have a couple concerns relating to Darnold and his environment. First, his decision-making needs more refinement. The positives are definitely worthy of being looked at, but the turnovers and dangerous throws will decide how good he can be in the future. I think he’ll be good, or at least a starting-caliber passer, but a more consistent level of vision will go a long way. Rookies tend to be weaker decision-makers than the rest however, which is self explanatory.
Second, this really isn’t a criticism of Darnold, but rather new coach Adam Gase. Gase lost a few players to injury in 2018, but underwhelmed as a play caller in his last season in Miami, most notably in the fourth quarter against the Indianapolis Colts where he called several run plays on third and long when the Dolphins were in great position to steal a win. Perhaps another chance will allow him to run a fresher offense, but I’m not entirely confident.
I do like the starting three receivers the Jets have given Darnold. Robby Anderson is a terrific vertical threat, Quincy Enunwa when healthy has been a quality receiver in his own right, and new addition Jamison Crowder is a great slot receiver. Of course, the big prize in the off-season was Le’Veon Bell, arguably the best back in the league.
This isn’t the most stacked offense in the league, but at the very least, it is an improvement for the Jets and their young quarterback. And when you consider Sam Darnold’s skill set, I think he has the potential to elevate the Jets to the next level. It all depends on how much he can refine his decision making, but his creativity, accuracy, mobility, and play under pressure should make him an exciting player and someone I’d recommend investing in 2QB leagues and traditional dynasty leagues as well.
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