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Report: Sam Darnold won't throw in Indy

Posted by Josh Alper on February 27, 2018, 10:49 AM EST

The top quarterback prospects in this year’s draft class will be looking for ways to differentiate themselves from one another over the next couple of months and Sam Darnold has reportedly found a way to do it in Indianapolis this week.

Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that Darnold will not take part in throwing drills during the Scouting Combine. He is expected to throw at USC’s Pro Day workout on March 21 instead.

Josh Rosen, Josh Allen, Baker Mayfield and Mason Rudolph are all expected to do the throwing drills in Indy. Lamar Jackson has not announced what he plans to do at this point.

There have been plenty of quarterbacks in the past who have passed on throwing at the combine in favor of working in familiar conditions and with familiar receivers at their schools. That trend has reversed in recent years, but it seems Darnold will not be part of that wave.

Prominent QBs who did not throw at the combine include Derek Carr, Teddy Bridgewater, Johnny Manziel, Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, Ryan Tannehill, Brock Osweiler, Blaine Gabbert, Sam Bradford, Tim Tebow, Matthew Stafford, Matt Ryan, Jamarcus Russell and Brady Quinn.

Sam Darnold, USC
How much football does he know? Darnold's considered the cleanest of the quarterbacks in this class: tough, competitive, instinctive, humble, hard-working and at his best in big moments, with enough arm, vision and mobility to give him, in one NFC executive's opinion, the most upside as a pro QB in the group. But Darnold is still just 20 years old, was a late convert to quarterback and made enough bad decisions (36 turnovers in 27 college games) to leave scouts wondering how much he really understands about offense at this stage. "The board and his knowledge is going to be important to test, because I think he's got some strides to make there," a college scouting director said. "I think he's almost more of a streetball player than he is a classic quarterback." Darnold went into high school as a linebacker and receiver and has the mechanics to match, including a funky, elongated throwing motion, though he gets the ball out quickly enough. Where it goes has created some head-scratching moments on tape. "He'll make some boneheaded throws and decision-making," one AFC scout said, "so I think some of the (football) intelligence questions may be lurking for him." But one NFC scout pointed out the Trojans' lack of weapons and offensive-line problems and said the word from coaches is Darnold is "totally capable" of grasping an NFL offense. "You can see him go through progression," the scout said. "You can see him look off safeties. You can see him understand where his outlet is. You see a lot more out of him than you see out of a lot of these (spread) guys."

Is there more to his personality? No one has a bad word to say about Darnold's character, but several scouts told me they're interested to see how he comes across in interviews. "He's not a real dynamic dude," an NFC executive said. "He's kind of a flat-liner. That can be good and bad." That California cool demeanor is also part of what Darnold's fans like about him. He's steady. "He's got fire, but it's more internal fire, competitive, going to be shown to his teammates and coaches and staff there," another NFC exec said. "They love the competitiveness. They love the makeup of the kid. He's just not going to flaunt it." Said an AFC scout: "There's no issue with the kid, but can he step in and command the locker room, and they respect him? He's not going to be that vocal leader type -- which is fine. But are guys going to look at him, like, 'Who's this 20-year-old kid, this baby-faced kid?' "

How big are his hands? Some scouts laugh off the importance of hand size, but ball security was an issue for Darnold, so there will at least be interest in seeing this measurement. He fumbled 21 times over two seasons. "There's a couple of plays where the ball slips out of his hands," an NFC scout said, "but considering how far he drops it in that motion, he would lose it if (his hands) weren't big enough." Said another NFC executive: "His game translates to the cold. He's rugged. He can extend plays. He can throw it short. He can throw it deep. He's tough as hell. I wouldn't be worried."

I like Darnold and all, but that first ass was very dangerous throwing into triple coverage.

I wish Darnold was throwing....i wanted to see the ball leave his hand side by side with the other prospects to get a better gauge on his arm talent.
When I see him on film it kinda look like he has 'enough' arm but not a 'plus' arm.


I heard that he maybe trying to clean up his throwing motion....I'm from the school that believes if he get's the ball out quick enough and he can put the ball where he wants (and I think he does both) then don't change his throwing motion; odds are it won't stick anyway and there's a chance that it messes with his head

I wish Darnold was throwing....i wanted to see the ball leave his hand side by side with the other prospects to get a better gauge on his arm talent.
When I see him on film it kinda look like he has 'enough' arm but not a 'plus' arm.


I heard that he maybe trying to clean up his throwing motion....I'm from the school that believes if he get's the ball out quick enough and he can put the ball where he wants (and I think he does both) then don't change his throwing motion; odds are it won't stick anyway and there's a chance that it messes with his head

No big deal. Hell all kinds of guys didn't throw.

I mean really throwing in shorts to receivers you have never seen?

It makes no difference.

What makes a difference is his interviews.

There is tape. A pro day and private workouts.

They know he can throw.

Speaking from a baseball coaching perspective you never really change a throwing motion.

What you do is work with what they have and tweek it.

In football you work on where you hold the ball. How you hold the ball. You work on balance. Hip rotation. Weight transfer. Release point. Throwing arch. Ball security.

It really is tightening it all up.

Not a complete change. Like they tried with Tebow.

Wentz went through the same thing after his first year.

Darnold will be fine. His release is already pretty quick and he has good arm strength.