While the Jets’ drafting woes have been well-documented, there is some optimism for New York’s current young core of talent.
On Monday, ESPN released rankings for all 32 NFL teams’ under-25 talent. In these rankings, the Jets came in at No. 14. That’s quite the fall from No. 7 last season, but that comes with the recent departure of Jamal Adams.
Still, ESPN feels comfortable enough with the Jets’ current crop of young talent to pinpoint them in the top half of the NFL. For each team, ESPN listed the franchise’s most valuable players under 25. For Gang Green, the team’s first-round picks from 2018-20 — Sam Darnold, Quinnen Williams and Mekhi Becton — were name-dropped.
Here’s what ESPN had to say about Darnold:
Like all of the teams that drafted a quarterback in the top 10 of the 2018 draft, the Jets had to have hoped their franchise passer — Sam Darnold — would have progressed more than he has in two seasons. Darnold’s minus-20.4% DVOA and 43.6 QBR were third and seventh worst of the 34 quarterbacks who threw 200 or more passes last season. But Darnold also has the most reasonable excuses for his poor production. He missed a month at the start of the season with mononucleosis, and saw his replacement Luke Falk fare markedly worse on a team bereft of quality pass protection and skill position talent. At 23 years old, Darnold is two years younger than Baker Mayfield and one year younger than both Josh Allen and 2020 No. 1 pick Joe Burrow. This might be a make-or-break season for Darnold, but he still demands the value credit this ranking is giving him.
The future of the Jets weighs on Darnold’s shoulders. The third-year quarterback will have some offensive continuity for the first time in his NFL career this season, as well as added reinforcements at skill positions and a completely remodeled offensive line.
Darnold hasn’t exactly been placed in a position to triumph in his first two seasons. Between dealing with mastering two offenses in two years, lackluster skill players, a porous offensive line and a bout with mononucleosis, Darnold’s flashes of sustained success have been few and far between.
Still, ESPN’s faith in the Jets young core comes with the belief that Darnold’s best football is much ahead of him.
Beyond Darnold, Becton has the potential to become the team’s cornerstone left tackle, drawing attention for his sheer size and length standing at 6-foot-7, 360-pounds. As Darnold’s new blindside protector, Becton is critical to the young quarterback’s development. At the same time, he should play a major factor in the team’s running game, serving as a bully to create running lanes on the left side for Le’Veon Bell.
As for Williams, there’s an expectation that his play will take a step forward after his rookie season was marred with inconsistent play. In his rookie campaign, Williams missed three of the first four games due to ankle and neck injuries. In 13 games, he recorded just 28 tackles, 2.5 sacks and one fumble recovery. Now, he’s the cornerstone piece of the Jets defense with Adams a member of the Seahawks.