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NFL Draft 2018 player rankings – Saquon Barkley worthy of top pick?

By Charles Rahrig V

IOWA CITY, IOWA- SEPTEMBER 23: Running back Saquon Barkley #26 of the Penn State Nittany Lions rushes up field during the third quarter past defensive lineman Cedrick Lattimore #95 of the Iowa Hawkeyes on September 23, 2017 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images)
IOWA CITY, IOWA- SEPTEMBER 23: Running back Saquon Barkley #26 of the Penn State Nittany Lions rushes up field during the third quarter past defensive lineman Cedrick Lattimore #95 of the Iowa Hawkeyes on September 23, 2017 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images) /
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BERKELEY, CA – SEPTEMBER 23: Quarterback Sam Darnold #14 of the USC Trojans stands in the pocket against the California Golden Bears during the first quarter at California Memorial Stadium on September 23, 2017 in Berkeley, California. The USC Trojans defeated the California Golden Bears 30-20. (Photo by Jason O. Watson/Getty Images)
BERKELEY, CA – SEPTEMBER 23: Quarterback Sam Darnold #14 of the USC Trojans stands in the pocket against the California Golden Bears during the first quarter at California Memorial Stadium on September 23, 2017 in Berkeley, California. The USC Trojans defeated the California Golden Bears 30-20. (Photo by Jason O. Watson/Getty Images) /
2

Derwin James

S, Florida State

After an unexpected amount of time off and a critical injury to Deondre Francois, the Florida State Seminoles came out flat against N.C. State on Saturday. A season that began with promise has stalled from the beginning and they suffered the tough loss at home.

For Derwin James, it was an off day as well. While he had some nice plays and finished with eight tackles, there was one play he got shook on. James would get turned around on a 71-yard touchdown strike.

While it wasn’t his best day to say the least, he’s a leader and will take it upon himself to get better. The game against Alabama was his first action back on the field and it was going to take playing time to get back on track.

Then another few weeks off after the hurricane made it all the more difficult to shake the rust off. He just needs consistent time each week and he will get that with a road tilt against Wake Forest next.

1

Sam Darnold

QB, USC

As Sam Darnold goes, so do the USC Trojans. Facing another big test on Saturday, the Trojans went on the road and defeated the Cal Golden Bears. Cal has been one of the surprise teams to start the year and it was a huge road win for Darnold and company.

Darnold had a very accurate night throwing the football as he went 26 of 38 passing. While his longest pass of the night was just 19 yards, the quarterback showed that he can methodically carve up opposing defenses.

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The Trojans now have two conference wins on the season and remain undefeated. Their winning streak dating back to last season has been a result of their quarterback and the poise he shows under center each week.

Darnold will have to throw a little further than 19-yard passes in his team’s next game. With a road game against Washington State, there will be plenty of passes sent through the air against a team that loves to put points on the board.

He maintains his spot at the top for now and next week could be another opportunity for him to hold onto it. The key is the way he is commanding these games and he’s showing he can do it in a variety of ways.

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