Niner Noise
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2018 NFL Draft: 5 quarterback prospects for the 49ers

By Peter Panacy

PASADENA, CA - JANUARY 02: Quarterback Sam Darnold #14 of the USC Trojans looks to pass the ball against the Penn State Nittany Lions during the 2017 Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual at the Rose Bowl on January 2, 2017 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
PASADENA, CA - JANUARY 02: Quarterback Sam Darnold #14 of the USC Trojans looks to pass the ball against the Penn State Nittany Lions during the 2017 Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual at the Rose Bowl on January 2, 2017 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES, CA – SEPTEMBER 02: Sam Darnold #14 of the USC Trojans prepares to take a snap during the game against the Western Michigan Broncos at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on September 2, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – SEPTEMBER 02: Sam Darnold #14 of the USC Trojans prepares to take a snap during the game against the Western Michigan Broncos at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on September 2, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

There’s a good chance USC quarterback Sam Darnold winds up being the No. 1 player taken in the 2018 NFL Draft.

And if the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills’ tanking efforts go according to plan, San Francisco won’t have a chance to grab the now-sophomore prospect.

If he falls or the 49ers move up, though, Darnold offers a pretty enticing skill set and intriguing potential to be a true franchise-type signal-caller.

Darnold completed 67.2 percent of his passes in 2016 and had an impressive 31-to-9 touchdown-to-interception ratio that season. And scouts point out how well he executes in short, intermediate and long distances, using a great deal of torque to get behind his throws.

You can see some of that on the Draftbreakdown.com video below:

Yet there’s an apparent weakness in Darnold’s mechanics.

One of the glaring potential issues is Darnold’s long-winding release. You can see it in the above video, as the 6-foot-4 quarterback has to wind up to deliver the pass in a way reminiscent of Denver Broncos QB Paxton Lynch.

And that delivery hasn’t worked out well for Lynch so far.

Plus, I have questions about USC quarterbacks. The last one to truly make an impact at the NFL level is Arizona Cardinals’ Carson Palmer. Everyone else? Not so much.