NFL quarterback power rankings: AFC East edition

2. Sam Darnold (New York Jets)

2019 Stats: 61.9% completions, 3,024 yards, 19 touchdowns, 13 interceptions

Perhaps the biggest beneficiary of Brady’s departure in the AFC East quarterback rankings is Sam Darnold, who vaults up to No. 2 in the division. The Jets have high hopes that Darnold can be their long-awaited franchise quarterback, and he has flashed that potential over his first two seasons.

2019 was a strange year for Darnold, who missed a month due to mono and played one of the worst games ever on Monday Night Football against the New England Patriots. Darnold was infamously caught on a microphone saying he was seeing ghosts in the game, an image that threatened to overwhelm his career the way the Buttfumble did for Mark Sanchez.

To his credit, Darnold played much better down the stretch and ended up improving on his rookie numbers in nearly all categories. Darnold also continued to showcase what he could do with solid protection, but there were still a few too many throws that left Jets’ fans scratching their heads at his decision-making process.

New York has invested a lot of resources into the offensive line this spring and added a pair of new receivers to bolster Darnold’s weapons. There is still real star potential for Darnold, who has the ability to be one of the best quarterbacks in football if he puts it all together.