The numbers aren’t exactly kind to Sam Darnold based on what he’s done in the NFL so far. There’s certainly no shortage of acclaim for his arm, though. Since Darnold was traded from the Jets to the Panthers there’s been a torrent of praise from former teammates, analysts and coaches regarding Darnold’s abilities.
Even some of Darnold’s competitors are impressed with what he can do despite a tough three-year run in New York. Here’s what Bills cornerback Tre’Davious White had to say about Darnold in a recent interview on Cris Collinsworth’s podcast, per our friends at Bills Wire.
“I think that, just me seeing Sam on film and just watching film and studying, he can make every throw. Every throw on the field, he can make it. He’s mobile, he can throw on the run, he has a strong arm, he has all of that… I don’t know where it wrong with him as far as being productive. . . It’s not that he doesn’t have the talent or he’s not capable of doing it, it’s just putting it all together. Some guys it just takes longer. In the NFL, it’s a tough position. He can spin it pretty good…”
This aligns with what we’ve seen from Darnold on film ourselves. He has high-level arm talent, plus athleticism and is comfortable working outside of structure. It’s understandable that White and so many other observers aren’t sure why Darnold’s production hasn’t been better.
Part of it can be explained with the cosmic asterisk that is the Jets franchise, but even if you separate all the dysfunction and lack of help Darnold had to deal with, his game still has shortcomings.
While it’s true Darnold can make every throw and occasionally wows you with his talent and daring, he has a habit of trying to do too much, which can help explain his troubling touchdown to interception ratio (45/39). Ball security has also been an issue, as Darnold has 20 career fumbles.
Getting Darnold to settle down and find the right balance between aggression and patience will be critical to helping him reach the next level for Matt Rhule, Joe Brady and the rest of the staff.
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