2018 NFL offseason quarterback carousel: Predicting who goes where
By Peter Panacy
Sam Darnold
2017 Team: USC
Some may easily view UCS’s Sam Darnold as the top quarterbacking prospect in this year’s NFL Draft.
He elected not to throw at the NFL Scouting Combine, rather waiting for his pro day. But that doesn’t change the fact he’ll likely go within the top five on draft day.
Three QB-needy teams are set to pick within the top five — the Browns, New York Giants and Denver Broncos. And with the first pick, the Browns have their choice of whichever quarterback they’d like to take.
And if they feel Darnold is still the best out of this year’s class, there’s your pick.
It’s a selection The MMQB’s Peter King agreed with:
"But no matter which veteran Cleveland gets (and [A.J.] McCarron is certainly a strong prospect here), [general manager John] Dorsey will backstop with a rookie, and Darnold, who needs a large dose of development, would be fine with a year or more of clipboard-holding."
Based off this assessment, the Browns will go about drafting and developing a quarterback the right way. Not rush someone into a starting role prematurely with a less-than-stellar supporting cast around him. See: DeShone Kizer in 2017.