Jacksonville Jaguars: Top Five Quarterbacks In College
By Owen Nelson
The upcoming 2018 NFL Draft looks far more stacked at the quarterback position than the previous draft, heres the top five at the position heading into the 2017-18 NCAA season.
If current Jacksonville Jaguar quarterback, Blake Bortles underperforms again in the upcoming 2017 season, the Jaguars should look towards drafting his successor in the 2018 NFL Draft. There’s plenty of options available, at this point the quarterback class for 2018 looks far more superior than those of the 2017 NFL Draft. Here’s the top five quarterbacks currently in college.
5. Mason Rudolph
The Oklahoma State quarterback could’ve easily entered the 2017 NFL Draft as he would’ve been selected in the top four rounds due to the lack in talent at the position. However, Rudolph decided to bet on himself to have a stellar season and boost his draft stock. It was a big risk by Rudolph but it shows he has great confidence in himself.
It’s a big ‘if’ whether or not Rudolph will be able to compete with the other talents in this draft, but his 28:4 touchdown-to-interception ratio is very impressive, if he can build on this he will no-doubt be in the conversation for the top quarterback conversation. With James Washington as his go-to receiver, anything is possible.
4. Lamar Jackson
The 2016 Heisman Award winner has the game to dominate college, but it’s a big question whether his game will translate to the NFL. Lamar Jackson has a very thin frame and relies on his speed much of the time, however, Louisville coach Bobby Petrino, and Jackson are willing to focus on altering the 20 year-old’s game, even if it means losing a few games due to growing pains.
Jackson had a historic season last season for the Cardinals, passing 30 touchdowns as well as running for 21 touchdowns. This will of course intrigue teams but he has to show improvements as a pocket passer if he wants to challenge for the top quarterback spot.
3. Josh Rosen
Ranking UCLA man, Josh Rosen, at three is purely based on his terrific freshman season. Unfortunately his sophomore season was cut very short by an injury to the shoulder of his throwing arm. These types of injuries are always tough, especially for a quarterback, Rosen’s draft stock definitely hinges on whether or not he can show the same, special arm talent that drawn comparison to future hall-of-famer, Peyton Manning.
I believe that Rosen is a candidate to drop down this list, much like Brad Kaaya did last season. Kaaya entered the season as a top two quarterback and ended up as a sixth round pick. Hopefully Rosen returns to full health and show the one-in-a-generation talent type of talent he possesses.
2. Josh Allen
Josh Allen was a late bloomer who emerged during this past draft. There was a lot of talk about the Wyoming-man entering the 2017 NFL Draft, Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller believed Allen would’ve been the first overall pick had he entered. That’s very high praise considering he was on no one’s radar for the whole season. Allen passed up millions of dollars by returning to Wyoming to work on his game.
Allen has a massive arm, but with that comes a lot of interceptions, Allen threw 15 picks last season. Allen will need to show that he has better control over his throws if he wants to solidify the top quarterback spot. Moreover, Allen has a special athletic ability, he will most likely end up running the the second best 40-yard-dash, of course behind Lamar Jackson.
Josh Allen really has it all.
1. Sam Darnold
Despite only playing 13 career games, Sam Darnold has already certified the top quarterback spot on my board. As a redshirt freshman, Darnold showed so much poise and confidence, especially in the memorable Rose Bowl game against Penn State; I think one of the most important traits a quarterback needs is the clutch trait, this game showed Darnold definitely has it. Darnold led the Trojans to an nine-game win streak to end the season, this illustrates Darnold’s great leadership qualities.
After playing behind Max Browne for the first three games of the season, Darnold came into the limelight and threw 31 touchdowns in only 10 games. Additionally, Darnold threw nine interceptions, obviously he’ll have to get that number lower, but it’s not incredibly bad considering it was his first season playing for USC.