NFL training camp: Best battle to watch for each team
By John Buhler
New York Jets: Christian Hackenberg, Josh McCown, Bryce Petty
While the New York Jets may already be in the “Suck For Sam” sweepstakes in their quest to potentially draft USC Trojans quarterback Sam Darnold No. 1 overall should he leave school after his redshirt sophomore year, this three-man quarterback race with the Jets this fall is going to be loads of fun.
Or not. It might be really bad. Here are the three men vying for the right to quarterback arguably the worst team in the NFL the season: Christian Hackenberg, Josh McCown and Bryce Petty. McCown is ageless in his quest to play for all 32 NFL franchises. He’s certainly getting there, but he’s nothing more than a low-end, stop-gap starter at this stage of his career. McCown is likely starting Week 1 for New York, all things equal.
That’s because the two other younger Jets quarterbacks just don’t cut it. Hackenberg was once the No. 1 overall quarterbacking prospect in the Class of 2013. After three years at Penn State, he left school early after struggling to complete close to 60 percent of his college passes. Allen Robinson is a miracle worker.
As for Petty, he hasn’t proven to be more than a product of former Baylor Bears head coach Art Briles’ Air Raid system down in Waco. Petty has the look of a pro-style passer and might have the arm strength to back it up. However, he has to show that he can dissect NFL defenses now that he is league veteran.