On the day Eli Manning turned 37, two hotshot college quarterbacks Wednesday night announced they will leave school and enter the NFL draft. It is quite likely Josh Rosen of UCLA and Sam Darnold of USC will go 1-2 in the first round, and with the Giants sitting with the No. 2 pick, they will be in prime position to select Manning’s successor, if they so desire.
Let the speculation begin. Will it be Manning, Rosen, Darnold or second-year Davis Webb manning the controls of the Giants’ offense in 2018?
The winless Browns own the No. 1 and No. 4 overall picks and there will be an investigation if they do not take a quarterback with one of them. Most early prognostications for the April 26 first round of the draft have Rosen, a junior, as the top-rated quarterback, with Darnold, a red-shirt sophomore, as the No. 2 quarterback, with Wyoming’s Josh Allen considered more of a long-range project but also in the mix.
Coming off a season when the wheels came off the Big Blue bus, as the Giants finished 3-13 and general manager Jerry Reese and head coach Ben McAdoo were fired with four games remaining, massive changes are lurking. The search for a new head coach is on and newly hired general manager Dave Gettleman has not committed to bringing Manning back for a 15th season with the Giants. Gettleman at first said he will go forward with Manning if his performance in the Week 15 loss to the Eagles was not “a mirage,’’ adding, “The guy that I saw that day was a guy that helped put two rings on my fingers.’’
Gettleman, though, made no promises, making it clear he needs to “sit down and study the tape’’ of every snap Manning took this past season.
“When I finish my film work that’s what’s gonna tell me which way to go,’’ Gettleman said of the No. 2 pick in the draft.
Manning was a willing mentor to Webb, a rookie, but Manning was the established starter and Webb was not even activated until the final game of the season. Manning has made it clear he wants to start in 2018, preferably with the Giants. Taking Rosen or Darnold and having one of them sit and learn behind Manning would be an unwieldy situation, as a few interceptions by Manning or losses by the Giants would lead to a groundswell to get the first-round pick on the field.
The two Los Angeles-based quarterbacks announced 30 minutes apart they would be entering the draft. Rosen was a three-year starter at UCLA and widely expected to leave school. Darnold, a two-year starter at USC, as a sophomore did not match his sensational freshman performance, throwing for 4,143 yards, 26 touchdowns and 13 interceptions and falling short of preseason Heisman Trophy projections. Darnold threw a pick-six and lost two fumbles in a 24-7 loss last week to Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl, as his offensive line was overwhelmed by the Buckeyes defensive front. Darnold lost an NCAA-worst eight fumbles this season.
Rosen battled through injuries and passed for 3,756 yards, 26 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in three fewer games than Darnold this season. He did not play in UCLA’s bowl game because of a concussion. He is considered more polished and NFL-ready than Darnold, who may have a higher upside.
Darnold entering the draft is good news for the Jets, who own the No. 6 pick and certainly could be interested in a quarterback. Darnold adds to the depth at the position, with Heisman Trophy-winner Baker Mayfield of Oklahoma or Louisville’s Lamar Jackson, the 2016 Heisman Trophy winner, possible first-round picks. Jackson has not yet declared for the draft.
Rosen took to Twitter to post a “Thank you UCLA’’ message, writing, “At 17 years old I made the best decision of my life and committed to UCLA.’’ He concluded his farewell with “As a proud UCLA Bruin, I am officially declaring for the 2018 NFL Draft.’’
Darnold in an Instagram post wrote, “After talking to my immediate family, very close friends, and many people who have helped me throughout my life, I have made the decision to declare for the 2018 NFL draft. I’ve been blessed that my life has been full of memorable moments and wonderful people. The people who have been involved in making me the man I am today have prepared me for the life and decisions that I have to make in the future.”