Cleveland Browns dodged a bullet by passing on Sam Darnold in 2018

Around this time in 2018, Sam Darnold was widely thought to be the presumptive starter for the Cleveland Browns as the future No. 1 overall selection.

Coming out of USC, Darnold was labeled as the most pro-ready quarterback of the field consisting of Baker Mayfield, Josh Rosen, Josh Allen, and Lamar Jackson.

NFL reporter Benjamin Albright even tweeted, “It’s Darnold” just two days before the Browns selected Mayfield No. 1 overall.

After Roger Goodell announced Baker Mayfield to the Browns, the Giants drafted Saquon Barkley and Darnold slid to the New York Jets at No. 3 overall.  Not even three seasons later, the Jets just traded away Darnold to the Carolina Panthers for a slew of mid-round picks.

Sam Darnold was never the guy to turn around the Cleveland Browns. 

The Browns were fresh off the heels of 0-16. Winless. With a fanbase in shambles and a parade of protestors circling the stadium calling for change, the Browns knew they needed to make a splash.

They needed a leader, and they needed to get this draft pick right.

In 2017, at USC, Darnold threw 13 interceptions for the Trojans and those turnover woes followed him to the NFL. The Browns could not afford those types of mistakes any longer due to the myriad of starting quarterbacks since 1999 paired with a fanbase who became subconsciously enamored with quarterback competitions.

Flashback to Mayfield’s first game against the New York Jets. The Browns had not won in 19 straight games. Mayfield’s energy rejuvenated a crowd that nervously watched their first-overall pick duel the guy that everyone thought was a surefire selection. Mayfield carried the Browns to their first victory in over a full calendar year.

Imagine if Darnold comes into that game for an injured Tyrod Taylor and throws an interception and loses the game. The victory fridges remain locked. Imagine the QB controversy and carousel that would have ensued on sports talk radio and the barrage of questioning from the media.

Darnold was never the alpha-leader to weather the storm that the Browns needed during those dark times. He wasn’t the guy to withstand the controversy surrounding Hue Jackson’s midseason firing. Nor was he the guy that would have sustained a second-year slump with Freddie Kitchens.

Mayfield was.

Despite the impressive measurables, Darnold was never the quarterback to lead Cleveland to the promised land. He failed miserably with the Jets, who received only a 2021 sixth-round pick, paired with a 2022 second-round and fourth-rounder for their former No. 3 overall selection.

Sure, Darnold’s career could turn around with the Carolina Panthers, who will reportedly pick up his fifth-year option. He will only be 24 by the time training camp begins this summer. While the first-round potential is still in there somewhere, Darnold was simply never the answer for the Browns.

Mayfield’s talent, paired with the “it-factor” we heard so much about, made him the clear-cut, unquestioned leader that the Browns had desperately been looking for since 1999.