Juiciest training camp battle for each NFL team

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ARLINGTON, TX – APRIL 26: Sam Darnold and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell hold up a NY Jets jersey after being selected by the New York Jets with the 3rd pick during the First Round of the 2018 NFL Draft on April 26, 2018 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington Texas. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

New York Jets: Sam Darnold vs. Josh McCown

The New York Jets were originally holding the No. 6 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, but made a trade with the Indianapolis Colts to move up to No. 3. As the picks started coming off the board, it appeared that the team would have a chance to get Sam Darnold, who was the focus of the fictional “Suck for Sam” campaign in New York prior to the 2017 season.

The story behind that was the Jets were trading away, and releasing all of their veteran talent, in a ploy to have the worst record in football and draft the signal-caller out of USC. Well, the Jets actually won some games in 2017, and it just so happened that Darnold fell into their lap anyway.

Last season, the main reason the Jets won as many games as they did was the play of veteran quarterback Josh McCown. The journeyman had the best season of his career, as he established himself as the leader of this team by throwing for nearly 3,000 yards and 18 touchdowns. The Jets rewarded him by bringing him back for another year, where he will lead a group that includes Darnold and Teddy Bridgewater.

If Darnold beats the rest of the quarterback out, he should get to start, though the organization could be worried that throwing him into the fire too soon could stunt his growth. Still, when it comes to the New York Jets, he is the player to keep an eye on this summer, as he tries to move his way up the depth chart.