2018 NFL Mock Draft: Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen top first round

With the start of the 2017 NFL season kicking off on Thursday, September 7, we take a look at our first weekly edition of the 2018 NFL Mock Draft.

The start of the NFL season is always one of the most exciting times of the year, as each team kicks off their campaign with a clean slate. While most teams should be very competitive this season, there are also a handful of teams that are going to be in for a long year. Prior to the New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs battling it out Thursday night in the season opener for the league, we take a look at what the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft might look like in April.

When it comes to sports in general, there is no more important position than the NFL quarterback. The 2018 NFL Draft will likely be loaded with a bunch of franchise-caliber quarterbacks, and our mock is full of them early. Here is our first installment of our weekly 2018 NFL Mock Draft.

1

Sam Darnold

Quarterback, USC

When you look at the moves the New York Jets made prior to the season, you have to think that they will eventually have the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. For years, the organization has struggled to have that long-term franchise quarterback, and this draft could finally be the one that changes all that. The supposed “Suck for Sam” campaign is underway for the Jets, and hopefully for them, he decides to forgo the rest of his eligibility and turn pro.

Sam Darnold is widely recognized as the best pro quarterback prospect in college football, and has the size and arm strength to be a franchise quarterback at the next level. As a redshirt freshman last season, he took college football by storm, leading the USC Trojans to a Rose Bowl victory over Penn State. He struggled a bit in the Trojans season opener against Western Michigan this past weekend, but that should do little to affect his draft status.

For the Jets, they will roll with Josh McCown under center to start the season, turning to a veteran that has won only two of his last 22 starts. The team does have youngsters Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg waiting in the wings, but nobody really thinks they are a long-term solution. They have to get this draft right, as a swing and a miss with a top overall pick could set the franchise back another ten years.

Darnold is going to have a huge year, and his Trojans are already ranked in the top-five this season. The question will be whether he comes out after the season, as he has been non-committal about that recently. Could he possibly avoid the Jets by returning to school like Peyton Manning did with the University of Tennessee? Only time will tell.