Sam Darnold deserves better spot in post-NFL draft QB rankings

A new generation of quarterbacks has entered the NFL. At the top there's Cam Ward, who went No. 1 overall to the Tennessee Titans as expected. The next-highest ranked prospect at quarterback coming into the draft was Shedeur Sanders, who wound up sliding all the way to the fifth round to the Cleveland Browns. While these two were considered the top quarterbacks in their class, they'll begin their careers at the next level at the bottom.

That's where Rotoballers has Sanders and Ward ranked in their post-draft quarterback power rankings, anyway. Sanders came in at 32nd on the list, and Ward 31st.

The Seattle Seahawks added a quarterback of their own, making their first legitimate investment in a rookie quarterback since Russell Wilson in 2012. Jalen Milroe might turn out to be better than Sanders, Ward or anybody else in this class - but we won't know the answer to that question for a few years, at least. For now, Milroe is slated to play the backup's backup behind projected starter Sam Darnold and Seattle's returning QB2, Drew Lock.

So, where does Seattle's new starter belong? According to Rotoballers' rankings, right in the middle of the pack. Darnold came in at No. 17 on their list.

"The Seahawks did well to protect Sam Darnold and add a weapon on Days 1 and 2 of the NFL draft. The team had a great draft as a whole... Darnold has a real chance to succeed in Seattle this season."

That he does, but it will depend a great deal on just how much the Seahawks have managed to improve their offensive line and their skill groups around Darnold - both of which were better for Minnesota last season.

While protecting Darnold will be key, above all else Seattle has to establish a more-effective running game if they're really going to reach their potential on this side of the ball. We disagree with the age-old falacy that you have to run the ball well to run play action well, but it certainly doesn't hurt. Fans should expect to see a somewhat similar dynamic to Russell Wilson's early years - ie, a lot of zone runs, setting up plenty of deep PA shots off of that.

That's the one area where we expect Darnold to thrive most - as he had the best deep passing attack in the league last season going by the advanced stats. That said, it's pretty tough to run play action effectively when you're facing 3rd and 14 and your right guard can't keep anybody in front of them.

One will play off of the other of course, but the first order of business for offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak will be to resuscitate a moribund run game despite having a lot of talent in the backfield.

All that being said about his supporting cast, Darnold deserves better than to be ranked in the middle of the heap with the likes of C.J. Stroud, Dak Prescott and Brock Purdy - all of whom he significantly outplayed last season. Assuming he picks off where he left off in Week 17, at worst Darnold should be ranked no lower than 12th - and on his best days he's easily going to be a top-10 performer.

 

Feb 6, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Sam Darnold and Katie Hoofnagle on the red carpet before Super Bowl LIX NFL Honors at Saenger Theatre. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images