Trent Dilfer dissects Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen, 2018 NFL Draft quarterbacks
By John Buhler
From Sam Darnold to Josh Rosen, former NFL quarterback Trent Dilfer touches on all the quarterbacks that are set to make the 2018 NFL Draft one to remember.
Trent Dilfer knows a thing or two about quarterbacking at the highest level. Under-recruited out of high school, he would go on to be the No. 6 overall pick in the 1994 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers out of Fresno State. He would make a trip to the Pro Bowl in 1997, as well as quarterback the 2000 Baltimore Ravens to their first Super Bowl victory in franchise history.
Since retiring after the 2007 NFL season, Dilfer has done analyst work for the NFL Network and ESPN as a part of Monday Night Football. He has been the head coach behind Elite 11 for years. Dilfer is synonymous with cultivating and understanding young quarterbacking talent.
On behalf of Panini, Dilfer kindly took a few minutes to talk some ball with FanSided‘s Mark Carman ahead of the 2018 NFL Draft. Dilfer might be a self-proclaimed “quarterback apologist”, but he certainly had some interesting things to say about this crop of soon-to-be NFL signal callers.
When asked who he would like to see go No. 1 overall to the Cleveland Browns, Dilfer responded diplomatically with while he likes the entire class, he would side with Sam Darnold out of USC. He cites it not being entirely about his physical nature, but rather “his temperament, it’s more of his competitive makeup. It’s more of his emotional, mental qualities that he has. He’s a natural leader.”
Darnold has drawn a lot of comparisons to other elite quartering prospects during this draft process, including John Elway and Andrew Luck. Dilfer would go on to liken Darnold’s mental toughness that of Troy Aikman and Peyton Manning.
These guys that had a rough first few seasons in the league, but ultimately prevailed into being hall of fame quarterbacks. In Dilfer’s eyes, he sees Darnold possessing the same “survive so he can thrive” mentality that led Aikman and Manning to NFL success.
Overall, Darnold seems to be the safest pick of the quarterback prospects at No. 1, but he’s not without some blemishes. Darnold’s biggest criticism is his knack for fumbling the football in and around the pocket. To Dilfer, he fumbles not because of hand size, but due to poor mechanics. “Sam is a fumbler, and that’s a big problem.”
That being said, this is something he can work on because he “embraces hard coaching”. This point helps accentuate Dilfer’s belief that he doesn’t think any of these quarterback prospects should start day one.
That may be the new norm in the NFL, but Darnold would have the opportunity to sit behind seasoned veterans for at least a year if picked in the top-three. Former Pro Bowler Tyrod Taylor quarterbacks the Browns. Eli Manning is still a starter in this league for the New York Giants. Josh McCown might be a journeyman, but could be a great mentor for Darnold with the New York Jets.
Dilfer’s belief in giving these rookies a year to learn before being thrust into the fire leads well into one of his most interesting nuggets from his interview with Carman. He really likes Giants backup quarterback Davis Webb, viewing him as their future starter.
Webb didn’t play hardly at all in his rookie year in New York, but could get some more action with a new regime in place. Dilfer thinks the Giants go with either Penn State Nittany Lions running back Saquon Barkley or North Carolina State Wolfpack defensive end Bradley Chubb if they stay at No. 2.
While Webb might look good in Big Blue, Dilfer finds UCLA Bruins quarterback Josh Rosen to be a perfect fit in Jeremy Bates’ system for Gang Green in New York. Rosen would certainly be there for the Jets at No. 3. Bates is an intellectual offensive coordinator, who will challenge and bring out the best in him if Rosen were to land with the Jets.
Much has been made about the cerebral nature of Rosen. Some might claim that Rosen is too smart for his own good. He has drawn comparisons to another former West Coast collegiate quarterback in Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers. Dilfer claims to have started the Rosen/Rodgers comparison narrative. He would know, as he and Rodgers played for the same offensive guru Jeff Tedford collegiately.
“He’s not the right flavor for everybody.” – Dilfer on Josh Rosen’s potential NFL fits
Tedford was Dilfer’s quarterbacks coach and later offensive coordinator at Fresno State. Rodgers would play collegiately for the California Golden Bears in the then Pac-10 when Tedford was the main man in Berkeley.
Interestingly, Dilfer does have a previous working relationship with Rosen from their time at Elite 11. Rosen made the Elite 11 in 2014 and was a counselor for Dilfer in 2017. Even more interesting, Rosen has worked with Rodgers ahead of the 2018 NFL Draft. Dilfer called it “graduate level stuff”.
When asked if Rosen could be a bit of a pain in the rear, Dilfer would use an ice cream analogy of sorts, “he’s not the right flavor for everybody.” Dilfer prefers mint chocolate chip, and rocky road, not so much. In essence, everybody loves ice cream, just not ever flavor of it.
No, this isn’t the first ice cream analogy that Dilfer has used before. He once coined the phrase, “he turned a stinky sandwich into an ice cream cone” to describe a quarterback who can make something out of nothing when a play completely breaks down.
After Darnold and Rosen, Dilfer had to choose between Wyoming Cowboys quarterback Josh Allen or Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Baker Mayfield. Given his uniquely high ceiling, Dilfer sided with Allen and his howitzer of a right arm.
For an ideal fit, Dilfer believes Allen makes the most sense for the Denver Broncos picking at No. 5. He cites general manager John Elway, new starting quarterback Case Keenum and Allen remaining in the Rocky Mountains as key reasons for this landing spot.
Keep in mind that Wyoming is an extension of Bronco Country. Denver is a smart football franchise with a passionate fan base that can best cultivate Allen’s raw talent. Dilfer would add one last bit on Allen: “he has everything to be a superstar three years from now.”
As for Mayfield, the fit might be harder to find. Dilfer sees the Arizona Cardinals picking at No. 15 as a possibility. Mayfield could inject some life in a reeling franchise in the post Bruce Arians/Carson Palmer era.
Though the Big 12 stuff won’t cut it, Mayfield could thrive in a warm-weather climate if he patterns his career after Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints. Mayfield needs the right supporting cast around him, but could be exactly what the Cardinals needing entering 2018.
While he might be the fifth quarterback off the board, Dilfer likes 2016 Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson of the Louisville Cardinals for obvious upside reasons. Jackson might be the most talented quarterback in the draft, but Dilfer is a bit weary of a guy that relies on his legs too often to win ball games. “When you are dependent upon your athleticism to extend plays too much, your career shortens.” Let’s hope this isn’t the case for Action Jackson, as he embarks on a new chapter of his football story.
“He has everything to be a superstar three years from now.” Dilfer on Josh Allen’s upside as an NFL quarterback
If you are looking for a potential sleeper at quarterback in this draft, Dilfer has the guy for you. “I’m all about Luke Falk,” he said excitedly. “I think he should be the heir apparent to Tom Brady.”
That’s a lofty statement for the former Washington State Cougars quarterback who operated in Mike Leach’s Air Raid in Pullman. However, Brady was a former sixth-round pick himself out of Michigan, so you never really know where the next hidden gem will be mined from.
Falk was meticulous in how he ran the Air Raid for Wazzu. In a system that thrives on easy completions that essentially padded stats, Falk would often audible to a running play for his tailback beside him to eat up yardage on the ground. Dilfer doesn’t define Falk as a quarterback that will “wow” you, but “will bore you with completions and touchdowns.”
Wrapping up his conversation with Carman, Dilfer would talk about his love for his hometown Golden State Warriors and his love for all things Panini. Of course, Dilfer is rooting for the Warriors to repeat as NBA champions. He grew up in the Bay Area in Santa Cruz and plays at the same country club as Warriors two-time MVP point guard Stephen Curry.
As for Panini, here’s what Dilfer had to say about his favorite trading card company.
"“I love this company. I’ve been working with them for years. I hardly do any of this stuff, but I brag on them all the time. They celebrate the athlete through their trading cards. I remember getting my first trading card. Still get goosebumps thinking about it. And what they’re doing now is super cool because they’re doing it in real time.These kids are going to go across the stage, they are going to shake the commissioner’s hand, they’re going to get their hat. And in real time, Panini is going to be building a trading card of them. You can see them at ICollectPanini.com. Again, I get millions of opportunities to endorse companies.Every time I get an opportunity to endorse Panini, I do because I love what they do for the athlete. I know how much fun it is for kids to collect cards. I think all of us are 12 year olds at heart. Panini really feeds that 12 year old in all of us. It’s a great company. It’s so cool what they are doing draft night.”"
Next: 2018 NFL Mock Draft: Sam Darnold goes to the Browns
Figuring out which quarterbacks will be the next stars in the NFL is probably the greatest part of draft process. At any given time, only like 20 can really hold their own fall Sunday after fall Sunday. With Dilfer’s keen insight to the position, maybe we will have a better understanding of what to expect out of these half a dozen draft hopefuls as they embark on a career in the NFL.