Former USC Trojan Sam Darnold has not been a fan favorite within the NFL media community. Many analysts have viewed his season last year as a one-hit wonder unlikely to be replicated. The players in the NFL however viewed Darnold differently; he was ranked among the top 100 players by his NFL peers.
NFL Network’s Christian Gonzales broke down this week’s rankings for the top 100 players, going through 80-71. He gave his analysis on every selection including Sam Darnold.
“In his lone season with the Vikings, Darnold proved he could be a top quarterback in the right situation. Darnold produced career numbers across the board in passing yards, touchdowns and completion percentage, leading to his first Pro Bowl nod in his one-year stop in Minnesota. In the offseason, Darnold elected to move on from the Viking as he signed a three-year, $100 million contract with the Seattle Seahawks. He’ll get a chance to showcase that his 2024 emergence wasn’t just a one-year wonder,” Gonzales wrote.
Gonzales also provided NFL Pro Insight’s analytics: “Sam Darnold had a career year with the Vikings in 2024, throwing for 1,023 yards on deep passes (20+ air yards), over 150 more than any other quarterback. Darnold also led the NFL in deep completions (28) and tied for the most deep TD passes (9).”
This has to be a reassuring feeling for Darnold that his peers view him on a higher level than the NFL media and analysts. The season Darnold had last year deserves great recognition, and it shouldn’t be met by analysts saying Darnold was the riskiest signing of 2025. This is well-deserved for Darnold. He can use this as momentum for another season worthy of his talent.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Sam Darnold makes the top 100 NFL ranking list at No. 72
Reporting by Micah Huff, Trojans Wire / Trojans Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
