NFL power rankings: 32-team breakdown after the 2018 NFL Draft

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ARLINGTON, TX – APRIL 26: Sam Darnold of USC poses after being picked #3 overall by the New York Jets during the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft at AT&T Stadium on April 26, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

Last Rank: 28. . New York Jets. 29. team. 30.

Best Pick: QB Sam Darnold, USC

Speaking of those Jets, they drop a spot in our NFL power rankings not because they aggressively moved up to grab a quarterback, but rather by how much they had to give up to advance three spots in Round 1.

USC’s Sam Darnold now joins the Jets. And considering it’s not hard to find old mocks out there listing Darnold the No. 1 quarterback on the boards, one has to think New York struck gold here.

Well, maybe.

The thing about quarterback-needy teams aggressively targeting quarterbacks with their first pick is this — the Jets’ 2018 draft class will be forever marked by how well Darnold performs. If he meets expectations, great. Nothing else from the Jets’ otherwise thin draft class will matter.

But if Darnold busts, or merely becomes just an OK quarterback, the move will forever be viewed as a franchise-killing mistake. Same goes for the rest of the draft selections.

Jets fans should hope for the former.