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2018 NFL Draft QB stock report – Week 9: Rosen has risen?

By Conor Dorney

PASADENA, CA - OCTOBER 21: Josh Rosen #3 of the UCLA Bruins passes in the pocket during a 31-14 win over the Oregon Ducks at Rose Bowl on October 21, 2017 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
PASADENA, CA - OCTOBER 21: Josh Rosen #3 of the UCLA Bruins passes in the pocket during a 31-14 win over the Oregon Ducks at Rose Bowl on October 21, 2017 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
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SOUTH BEND, IN – OCTOBER 21: Sam Darnold #14 of the USC Trojans gets tackled while trying to pass in the second quarter of a game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium on October 21, 2017 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
SOUTH BEND, IN – OCTOBER 21: Sam Darnold #14 of the USC Trojans gets tackled while trying to pass in the second quarter of a game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium on October 21, 2017 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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Sam Darnold

QB, USC

There are a lot of factors that can sour scouts and front office personnel on any particular draft prospect, and one metric that has a pretty clear correlation with downward draft stock is turnovers. Unfortunately for USC’s Sam Darnold, who was considered by some this season to be the clear favorite to be the top quarterback selected in 2018, turnovers continue to be a problem.

The Trojans were taken to the woodshed by the Fighting Irish last weekend in South Bend by a final score of 49-14, and while it’s entirely unfair to put the blame for USC’s woes on Darnold, his inability to at the very least protect the football is certainly going to be an issue moving forward in the draft process.

Darnold has now thrown at least one interception in all but one game this season, and with 10 on the year, he’s already eclipsed his total of nine from 2016 with at least four games still remaining on the Trojans’ schedule.

On top of the lack of ball security, there is also growing speculation that Darnold may not even be a part of this class at all.

There’s no doubt that after an up-and-down season, Darnold could use another year on campus at USC to rebuild any lost draft stock. Injuries and youth have played a key role in a largely-stagnant Trojans offense this season, so one more year to develop a better rapport could help when it comes time for the 2019 draft.

The supporting cast at USC may be a significant dropoff in production from that of 2016, but there’s no doubt that if Darnold is unable to settle himself in the pocket or limit his turnovers going forward, there might not even be a guarantee that he ends up as a first-round pick.

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