NY Jets: Dan Orlovsky prefers Sam Darnold to every other young quarterback

NY Jets quarterback Sam Darnold received some of the highest praise imaginable from former NFL quarterback and current NFL analyst Dan Orlovsky.

NY Jets quarterback Sam Darnold has had a complex relationship with the media as of late with some coming to his defense and others placing the brunt of criticism on his shoulders.

But one recent take from former NFL quarterback and current NFL analyst Dan Orlovsky will certainly raise some eyebrows.

On a recent edition of the MySportsUpdate podcast, Orlovsky was asked if he would take Darnold or New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones for the next 10 years. Not only did Orlovsky emphatically say Darnold without hesitation, but he took it a step further.

The former Detroit Lions signal-caller iterated that he would take Darnold over “every young QB that’s come into the NFL the last 3 years.”

That’s quite the claim.

One would assume that he’s including the 2020 draft class in this statement and not the 2017 class that featured the likes of Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson. Even the most optimistic of Jets fans would agree that such a statement would be absurd.

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Instead, it’s likely that Orlovsky was referring to the 2018, 2019, and 2020 draft classes. And if that’s the case, there is an argument to be made.

The 2018 draft class would likely be his biggest competition with the likes of Baker Mayfield, Josh Allen, and 2019 MVP Lamar Jackson all taken in the first round — apologies to Josh Rosen.

Jackson obviously has the most success out of any of the quarterbacks right now, but the question wasn’t asking who has had the most recent success. It was who would you take to be your quarterback for the next decade.

And while some might scoff, there is an argument to be made in Darnold’s favor. Not saying it’s a correct argument, but it isn’t completely unreasonable either.

The 2019 class featured notables such as Kyler Murray, Dwayne Haskins, Gardner Minshew, and the aforementioned Jones. Again, there’s no consensus order here, but you could certainly make the argument to take Darnold over any of them.

And in 2020, Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert, and Jordan Love were all taken in the first round. Obviously, all four remain complete unknowns but it’s fair to say that Darnold matched up with them as a prospect when he was coming out of USC.

Perhaps only Burrow received more pre-draft hype than Darnold.

This is certainly a bold claim, but it isn’t as laughable as some may make it seem. Of course, Jackson is in a league of his own when it comes to current level of play and prior success. But there are reasons to be concerned about his long-term sustainability.

2020 will be a huge year for Sam Darnold as he will look to finally put together the true breakout season that Jets fans have been eagerly awaiting.