Is it really news to say that the New York Jets had yet another abysmal season in 2017? Whether a team has the worst record in the league or just came off of winning the Super Bowl, the mission is the same: To get better. The Jets, as per usual, didn't seem to have this mindset this past season as they finished with the same record (5-11) as they did the year before. They actually got worse in terms of their division as in 2016 they placed third but then dropped down to the last spot in the AFC East in 2017.
The Jets' apologists will tell you their team did it on purpose to get a higher pick in the draft and although that may not have been a bad idea, don't let New York fool you; it's not as if they had a real choice in the matter.
The Jets roster lacks the talent to compete at a high level and it showed once again this season. As they try to build back up a perennial playoff team, they first need to start by choosing a cornerstone in the upcoming draft that can lead them for years to come. That guy may very well be former USC Trojan's quarterback Sam Darnold.
Taking a look at him
The 2018 NFL Draft is just over a week away and teams like the Jets, who have a high pick, need to figure out sooner rather than later who they'll be choosing. It's been suspected that New York will lean towards picking a quarterback but it's unclear who they'd go with. According to NFL Insider Ian Rapoport, Darnold made his trip to New York early this week.
Yesterday (April 16), he visited with the New York Giants and today (April 17) he met with the Jets. Both situations could be good for him but in different ways. If he was indeed selected by the Giants, he'd likely sit for a year or two but get valuable experience behind a veteran quarterback that's won two Super Bowls and could show him the ropes.
If he went to the Jets, he'd get a chance to fight for the starting spot, likely get it, and be the new face of the Jets franchise for hopefully years to come.
Where does he end up?
With just over a week left, it seems like every NFL insider's mock drafts look different when it comes to the first round. There are some truly talented quarterbacks in this year's class but no one has really separated himself from the rest of the pack.
Guys like Josh Allen and Baker Mayfield have been highly touted because they have impressive skill sets, but it's not clear if they'll transition into stars at the NFL level.
At this point in these young players' lives, the talent is there, but it's a crapshoot to try to guess right to see who's gonna be the next big thing. They could all be greats or they could just be average and that's the difficult part of the draft. It can be nerve-racking for these teams because they can get really stressed about who they should pick with these high and valuable positions in the draft. Teams like the Browns, Giants, and Broncos are all looking for quarterbacks as well, but I'll go out on a limb and say his day with the Jets went well and that he'll be donning the green and white next season.