Sam Darnold Draft Class: 2018 QBs Ranked & Revisited
The Sam Darnold draft class remains one of the most fascinating quarterback groups in recent NFL history. Five quarterbacks were selected in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft: Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, Josh Allen, Josh Rosen and Lamar Jackson. Their careers took dramatically different paths, making the class almost impossible to evaluate based only on what scouts saw before the draft.
Darnold entered the NFL with enormous expectations after starring at USC. The New York Jets selected him No. 3 overall, making him the second quarterback off the board behind Baker Mayfield. Josh Allen went seventh, Josh Rosen 10th and Lamar Jackson 32nd.
Eight years later, the story looks very different. Darnold eventually rebuilt his career after difficult stops with the Jets and Carolina Panthers, earned opportunities with the San Francisco 49ers and Minnesota Vikings, and ultimately became the starting quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks.
Most remarkably, Darnold became the first quarterback from the 2018 class to start a Super Bowl.
Who Was in Sam Darnold’s 2018 Draft Class?
The 2018 NFL Draft produced five first-round quarterbacks, creating one of the most heavily discussed QB classes of the modern era.
| QB | Draft Team | Pick | College |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baker Mayfield | Cleveland Browns | No. 1 | Oklahoma |
| Sam Darnold | New York Jets | No. 3 | USC |
| Josh Allen | Buffalo Bills | No. 7 | Wyoming |
| Josh Rosen | Arizona Cardinals | No. 10 | UCLA |
| Lamar Jackson | Baltimore Ravens | No. 32 | Louisville |
The NFL’s official draft tracker confirms the order: Mayfield went first, Darnold third, Allen seventh, Rosen 10th and Jackson 32nd.
That order is important because it shows how highly NFL teams valued these quarterbacks before their professional careers unfolded.
Where Was Sam Darnold Drafted in 2018?
Sam Darnold was drafted No. 3 overall by the New York Jets in the 2018 NFL Draft.
Darnold was the second quarterback selected, following Baker Mayfield. The Jets viewed the USC quarterback as a potential franchise centerpiece and hoped he could finally solve their long-running quarterback problem.
At the time, Darnold was widely viewed as one of the safest quarterback prospects available. His size, arm strength, pocket ability and experience at USC made him particularly attractive to teams looking for a traditional NFL passer.
His draft position also reflected the urgency surrounding quarterbacks in the 2018 class. Five QBs eventually went in Round 1.
What Was Sam Darnold’s Pre-Draft Profile Like?
sourecs: sports.yahoo.com
Darnold entered the 2018 draft after two seasons as USC’s starting quarterback. He had the physical profile teams typically wanted from a franchise passer.
Sam Darnold’s Strengths
His biggest strengths included:
- Strong arm talent
- NFL-ready size
- Ability to make throws from the pocket
- Mobility outside the pocket
- Experience in a major college football program
- Ability to make difficult throws under pressure
Darnold’s draft stock was also helped by his ability to create plays when the structure of the offense broke down.
Sam Darnold’s Weaknesses
There were warning signs as well.
Scouts questioned his:
- Decision-making
- Turnover tendency
- Ball security
- Consistency
- Ability to avoid dangerous throws
- Performance under heavy pressure
Those concerns became important during his early NFL career.
How Did the Sam Darnold Draft Class Turn Out?
The biggest lesson from the class is that draft position did not predict career success very well.
Baker Mayfield was selected first, Darnold third, Allen seventh, Rosen 10th and Jackson last among the five first-round quarterbacks. Yet the eventual career trajectories became almost impossible to predict from that order alone.
Josh Allen developed into one of the NFL’s premier quarterbacks. Lamar Jackson became a two-time MVP and one of the league’s most dynamic players. Mayfield rebuilt his career after leaving Cleveland, while Rosen’s NFL career never developed as expected.
Darnold’s journey sits somewhere in between those extremes, but his late-career revival changed the way his original evaluation is viewed.
Sam Darnold vs. Josh Allen
The comparison between Darnold and Josh Allen is one of the most interesting parts of the 2018 quarterback class.
Darnold was selected four spots before Allen. At the time, many evaluators viewed Darnold as the more polished prospect, while Allen’s accuracy and consistency were major concerns.
The NFL’s later reassessment of the class illustrates just how dramatically evaluations can change. NFL analyst Daniel Jeremiah eventually discussed Darnold much more favorably in a re-ranking of the 2018 quarterbacks, while Allen had emerged as an elite franchise quarterback.
The difference highlights an important NFL truth: quarterback development depends on far more than arm talent or draft position.
Coaching, offensive structure, supporting talent, organizational stability and player development can all influence the final outcome.
Sam Darnold vs. Baker Mayfield
Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold entered the NFL as the first two quarterbacks selected in 2018.
Mayfield went No. 1 overall to Cleveland, while Darnold followed at No. 3 to the Jets.
Both quarterbacks also experienced difficult stretches early in their careers.
Mayfield eventually left Cleveland and continued his career elsewhere, while Darnold moved from the Jets to the Panthers before finding a more stable opportunity later in his career.
That makes their careers useful examples of why a first-round selection is only the beginning of a quarterback’s NFL story.
Sam Darnold and Josh Rosen: Two Different Outcomes
Josh Rosen was another major part of the 2018 draft conversation.
The Arizona Cardinals selected Rosen No. 10 overall after he spent his college career at UCLA.
Rosen had been viewed as a highly polished quarterback prospect by many evaluators, but his NFL career never matched those expectations.
Darnold faced many of the same questions about consistency and development, but his career took a very different direction.
The contrast between Darnold and Rosen demonstrates how difficult it is to predict quarterback development from college tape alone.
Sam Darnold’s NFL Career After the Draft
Darnold’s early NFL career did not develop as the Jets hoped.
He eventually moved on from New York and joined the Carolina Panthers. Later opportunities with the San Francisco 49ers and Minnesota Vikings helped him rebuild his reputation.
His time with Minnesota was particularly important because it gave him another opportunity to demonstrate that he could operate an NFL offense effectively.
Instead of being remembered only as the No. 3 pick who struggled with the Jets, Darnold gradually became an example of a quarterback who benefited from additional coaching, experience and a better situation.
That career revival eventually led to his opportunity with the Seattle Seahawks.
How Did Sam Darnold Become the First 2018 QB to Reach a Super Bowl?
This is where the Sam Darnold draft class story takes its biggest turn.
After years of uncertainty, Darnold became Seattle’s starting quarterback and led the Seahawks to Super Bowl LX. NFL coverage specifically identified him as the first quarterback from the 2018 class to start a Super Bowl.
Seattle subsequently won Super Bowl LX, giving Darnold a championship that few would have predicted when his early career stalled. Contemporary analysis noted that the Seahawks’ success challenged the idea that every Super Bowl team must be built around an elite, highly drafted quarterback.
That achievement puts Darnold’s career in a completely different context.
The quarterback selected third overall in 2018 eventually reached the sport’s biggest stage before Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Baker Mayfield or Josh Rosen.
Why Is the 2018 QB Draft Class Still Important?
The 2018 quarterback class is important because it demonstrates how unpredictable NFL draft evaluation can be.
Before the draft, teams were trying to answer questions such as:
- Which quarterback had the safest floor?
- Who had the highest ceiling?
- Which prospect would develop fastest?
- Which quarterback had the best supporting situation?
- Could physical tools overcome technical weaknesses?
Years later, the answers were dramatically different from the original draft order.
Darnold’s journey is perhaps the clearest example. He was highly valued as a prospect, struggled early, changed teams, rebuilt his reputation and ultimately became a Super Bowl-winning quarterback.
Sam Darnold Draft Class Order
For quick reference, the original first-round quarterback order was:
- Baker Mayfield — No. 1 overall
- Sam Darnold — No. 3 overall
- Josh Allen — No. 7 overall
- Josh Rosen — No. 10 overall
- Lamar Jackson — No. 32 overall
This was the first round’s complete QB order in 2018.
The five first-round quarterbacks made the 2018 class particularly unusual. The draft featured five first-round QBs, a number that placed it among the most quarterback-heavy first rounds in NFL history.
What Can We Learn From the Sam Darnold Draft Class?
The biggest takeaway is simple: NFL draft order is not a final career ranking.
Darnold was taken ahead of Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson, yet both became elite quarterbacks while Darnold needed several years and multiple teams to establish himself.
At the same time, Darnold’s eventual success shows that an imperfect beginning does not necessarily define an NFL quarterback’s career.
His story is better understood as a long development arc rather than a simple success-or-failure verdict on the No. 3 pick.
The 2018 class also demonstrates the importance of organizational fit. A quarterback can possess the physical tools to succeed and still struggle if the surrounding environment does not help him develop.
Final Takeaway
The Sam Darnold draft class has become one of the NFL’s most interesting quarterback case studies.
Darnold entered the league as the No. 3 overall pick and the second quarterback selected in 2018. Josh Allen went fourth among the QBs, Josh Rosen followed, and Lamar Jackson was the final first-round quarterback.
At different points, each quarterback’s career seemed to be heading in a different direction. Allen and Jackson developed into stars, Mayfield found success after leaving Cleveland, Rosen struggled to establish himself, and Darnold spent years trying to regain the promise he showed at USC.
Then Darnold’s career changed.
His Seattle opportunity eventually resulted in a Super Bowl appearance and victory, making him the first quarterback from this famous 2018 class to reach the Super Bowl as a starter.
That is why the 2018 quarterback class should not be remembered simply by its original draft order. It should be remembered as a lesson in development, opportunity, resilience and just how unpredictable quarterback evaluation can be.
Custom FAQs
What was the 2018 NFL Draft?
The 2018 NFL Draft was held from April 26–28, 2018, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Five quarterbacks were selected in the first round.
Who was in Sam Darnold’s draft class?
Sam Darnold’s first-round quarterback class included Baker Mayfield, Josh Allen, Josh Rosen and Lamar Jackson. Darnold was selected No. 3 overall by the New York Jets.
What was the Sam Darnold draft class order?
The first-round QB order was Baker Mayfield at No. 1, Sam Darnold at No. 3, Josh Allen at No. 7, Josh Rosen at No. 10 and Lamar Jackson at No. 32.
Who were the QBs in the Sam Darnold draft class?
The five first-round quarterbacks were Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, Josh Allen, Josh Rosen and Lamar Jackson.
What draft class was Patrick Mahomes in?
Patrick Mahomes was part of the 2017 NFL Draft class, one year before Sam Darnold and the 2018 quarterback class. Mahomes was selected No. 10 overall by the Kansas City Chiefs.
Was Sam Darnold the first quarterback from the 2018 class to start a Super Bowl?
Yes. Sam Darnold became the first quarterback from the 2018 draft class to start a Super Bowl, doing so with the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX.
Did Sam Darnold win a Super Bowl?
Yes. Darnold and the Seattle Seahawks won Super Bowl LX, giving him a championship after a career that included stops with the Jets, Panthers, 49ers, Vikings and Seahawks.
