On Tuesday, the Vikings announced the signing of Khyree Jackson, a defensive back selected in the fourth round.
Of the seven selections made by Minnesota, five have now been signed. The other two unsigned first-round picks are J.J. McCarthy and Dallas Turner. Walter Rouse, a sixth-round offensive tackle, Will Reichard, a seventh-round defensive lineman, Michael Jurgens, an offensive lineman, and Levi Drake Rodriguez, a seventh-round offensive lineman were previously signed by the Vikings.
With the Vikings, Jackson will fight for a substantial amount of playing time. With Byron Murphy, whom they signed in free agency in 2023, Shaquill Griffin, Akayleb Evans, Mekhi Blackmon, and Andrew Booth Jr. also competing, they have a lot of doubts over the depth chart.
Jackson started all 12 games for Oregon in 2023 and had three interceptions, which led the team. 34 tackles, two sacks, five tackles for loss, and seven pass breakups were also totaled by him. He performed at Alabama as well.
With all the hype around J.J. McCarthy in the offseason, the Vikings will give Sam Darnold an opportunity to show he can succeed.
Following Kirk Cousins’ decision to negotiate a contract with the Atlanta Falcons, the Minnesota Vikings renovated their quarterback room during the summer. J.J. McCarthy and Sam Darnold were the two new players in this reconstructed room. McCarthy is the future, regardless of how the 2024 season plays out, but giving Darnold more time to develop could not be the worst course of action.
After signing with the Vikings, Darnold—who was formerly the third overall choice in the NFL draft—will have joined his fourth new team in as many years. Darnold has struggled to secure a steady starting position in the NFL. He hasn’t been able to play consistently well, but he has showed glimmers of why he was selected so highly and why he keeps receiving contracts in the league. His lack of consistency in the NFL can be attributed in large part to the caliber of players surrounding him during his career.
What Steps Must Sam Darnold Take to Prevent J.J. McCarthy?
Before joining the Vikings, he spent his debut season as a member of the New York Jets, throwing to Quincy Enunwa and Robbie Anderson (now Robbie Chosen), with Chris Herndon, a rookie, at tight end. The Jets underwent a lot of upheaval in 2019. Le’Veon Bell, Jamison Crowder, and Demaryius Thomas were signed, and Todd Bowles was sacked. Adam Gase was hired. Even while those names weren’t the most spectacular at this time, they were still an improvement above what they had, and Darnold’s stats showed it. It’s crucial to remember that Darnold was traded for a second-round pick the following season when the Jets collapsed and went 2-14. Despite his difficulties in New York, Darnold was still wanted by the Carolina Panthers. With Darnold at the controls, the offense as a whole and Darnold himself continued to struggle. Because of his inconsistent play, he only started 12 games that season. The next year, he signed a contract to be Brock Purdy’s backup with the San Francisco 49ers.
Sam Darnold excels at creating with his legs and eyes. He can be overly aggressive at times, but his constant goal is to move the ball down the field and produce big plays. The ability to produce powerful and accurate throws from off-balance platforms and from a distance is what I mean when I say that he has a lot of arm talent. He can be successful in Minnesota if he can learn to reconcile reining in his home run throws and playing in a more organized offense with a stronger supporting group. Reunited with Darnold’s Jets teammate Josh McCown, their familiarity together can only be beneficial. It doesn’t hurt to sit out 17 games and spend a year under Kyle Shanahan either.
It is objectively true that he hasn’t been good enough throughout his career to be a starting quarterback, even though this article has presented him in a more positive light. Returning to his capacity for large-scale plays, this has also led to numerous major plays that have gone the other way. Since 2018, the year he joined the league, Darnold’s turnover percentage is tenth, according to StatMuse. That doesn’t sound too bad, but when you take into account that he has participated in 67 games and that Matt Ryan has played in the second-fewest games among the top 10 in turnovers (76), it appears much worse.
What Darnold is incapable of is amply demonstrated by this play. Darnold has the option to toss the ball away and continue to play, but he chooses to throw across the field to a corner with his back foot on the first play of the game. (Not just any corner, but the Viking legend of Bashaud Breeland.) These are the plays that have contributed to Darnold’s current standing.
When he’s more than capable of making the simpler play, he attempts too frequently to be a superhero and make every play a huge one. He doesn’t always accept the easy play, even when it is there. He’s throwing it if he sees Justin Jefferson breaking free in a one-on-one coverage situation. He’s tossing it if he sees Brandon Powell covered up with barely a window.
