Patrick Mahomes leads 2020 AFC quarterback power rankings

16. Sam Darnold

Sam Darnold may have a solid future in the NFL, but through his first two seasons he simply hasn’t been all that impressive. When I went through all the AFC quarterbacks’ numbers from last season, he was near the bottom in completion percentage, yards per attempt, interception percentage, rushing yards, quarterback rating, QBR, and Pro Football Focus grade. You can certainly make an argument that he has been limited by the supporting cast and coaching staff in New York, but the problem is that those things weren’t upgraded at all this offseason.

It’s possible that Darnold will simply mature enough on his own that he will improve despite those around him, but until he shows he can do that I didn’t feel like I could justify putting him over anyone else on this list. Would it shock me if he took a step forward and started to look like the franchise quarterback that the Jets drafted him to be? No it wouldn’t. But through his first two seasons, the results simply haven’t been very good, regardless if the blame lies with the player or organization.