USC Morning Buzz: What Did We Learn From The NFL Draft?

The NFL Draft taught us again how good Sam Darnold was last season. Why? USC offensive tackle Chad Wheeler was a four-year starter. USC offensive guard Damien Mama was a three-year starter. And neither got drafted. Nothing.

USC offensive tackle Zach Banner was a fourth-round selection. But that seems based more on potential given his size. So this really confirms what I’ve said before about the offensive line. USC allowed the fewest sacks in the Pac-12 this season (12) and there was a simple explanation: Darnold.

47 thoughts on “USC Morning Buzz: What Did We Learn From The NFL Draft?

  1. For being “Inside,” this blog lacks a lot of insight. Bad offensive lines are certainly helped by mobile QBs but the blogger overlooks the coaches that scheme and call plays to accentuate the positive aspects of their play and not put the line and QB in bad situations. Unless Kennedy Polamalu is your OC. This piece is 4th grade, single-level thinking and analysis.

    • Wolf is just spinning the draft results.

      Darnold played first college season with 3 future NFL OLs. (With contracts).

      • Let’s not confuse free agent contracts with being an NFL lineman. Two of the three went underrated and Banner didn’t go high, probably for good reason. I hope they succeed but the odds are against them.

        • True.
          But there’s hundreds more who don’t get offered contracts.

    • I agree with BOTH your analysis AND quite a bit of what’s being said here on surface level. There’s no way to rule out a type 1 error here until Darnold is no longer at the helm (and even then the personnel will change confounding true tests of validity). If darnold went down mid year that would offer a true litmus test but I shutter to think of the results if that occurred.

      • Agreed but hey we already saw what was the result when the anointed one (Rosen) did play and still lost so what’s the next move over there?

          • The new OC Hirsch was all over Rosen’s ‘drama queen’ act when he threw a pick in practice per the Times report in today’s edition. Mora has the money to hire good assistants but doesn’t hire the right ones and thus the mess continues to morph closer and close to what Cal football is – place where no decent players even consider playing at.

          • Alison,
            Are you getting those nasty hot flashes again? They seem to be making you cranky.
            Take the summer off so you can bore us to death again come Fall.

        • If Rosen makes it thru the next season without getting hurt, he will commit to the draft ready to play at that level or not. You know it will happen.

          • I think you’re probably right but Hundley showed more skill than Rosen has or will. Look great players overcome the limitations they face – poor coaching, mediocre players – they just do. Admittedly Rosen hasn’t had much in the way of decent coaching nor players but again he’s not that good a ‘qb’ and that’s why he’s at bel-air tech.

    • So you are saying the reading is too difficult for ruins? Too bad.Why don’t you watch the tape of the Alabama game with an immobile Max Browne at quarterback and then watch the Rose Bowl win and see what Sam did on his own to generate the comeback for the ages with Nitanny Lions draped all over him?

      • Don’t hold your breath waiting for UCLA to get back to you , g.t. [You’ve come up with the cutest metric yet for measuring Sam’s worth].

      • Hey man, it’s your team. If you want to say the coaches and team are incapable of improvement over 12 games, that’s cool with me.

    • UCLA Dynamo, I agree with you 100%. The offensive line could not block Alabama and Stanford defenses. Darnold played in both games and was hopeless as was starter Max Brown. Darnold had plenty of time to throw against Utah, Colorado, all the way to Seattle and home against the Bruins. The USC coaching staff improved their offensive line play each and every game beginning with Utah. Darnold had less time to throw against Pen State, made some nice roll outs, but overall, had all the time he needed to look for a second and third receiver. THE BOTTOM LINE, the USC Coaching Staff improved the overall offensive line play by leaps and bounds beginning with Utah and throughout the remainder of the season. Gotroy22, look at the Rose Bowl game film. The offensive line did a remarkable pass blocking effort for QB Darnold.

    • Ya, those “experts” really nailed it. Nobody was even close. But then, trying to make sense of the Rams draft left me virtually numb.

  2. Hard to tell how this all washes out yet, just so many draft busts and stories of free agents making good careers that we just can’t tell yet. Remember Jamarcus Russell was a sure thing, and so many first and second round choices like RG III, Ryan Leaf, and so many others I couldn’t list them all, not doing squat.
    As far as Darold goes, I’m still of the belief that while he’s got great talent, it was surely nurtured and expanded by scheme, practice and talent of those around him. If Deontay doesn’t go up and extend for the ball between three dbs, maybe the comeback falls short.
    Last time I checked, this sport, more than any other takes a team working fearlessly and on the same page, and at this level you can’t discount the contribution of all the coaches as well as players. That being said, Darnold helps…ya think?

    • That play was exactly what Darnhold told Burnett told him – “…be there at that height because this ball will be heading there.” Looked identical to Montana to Rice

      • True that, still took guts to go up and extend for it, it also took trust. Trust that Darnold wouldn’t hang him out to dry. Just saying that play doesn’t happen with just one player… Montana to Rice is about right..Fight On!!

        • It was one of the greatest throws in Rose Bowl history. Herbie couldn’t contain himself because he knew what it took to read, react and throw perfectly to open air like that. It was a stunning throw and a good catch and the play that brought USC all the way back to national prominence. Darnold’s work in the pocket before the throw was also superior.

          • My favorite play of the whole season, from any team, the read the timing, touch on the pass, I believe someone was underneath in coverage, and the soft hands to pull it in out of the Pasadena sky… Loved that play! Fight On!

          • I’ve watched it about 20X it seems. Each time it feels just as special as the time before, regardless of the angle. That’s the play that has #1 draft choice written all over it. It just shocked everyone, the announcers, the Lions, the fans, the entire TV universe. Then, on replay, you realize just how truly amazing it was.

          • The Trojan OL blocking for Darnold’s RB spectacular pass was incredible. It is fun to watch the Trojan OL terminate a max Penn State blitz. Besides Darnold, the Trojan Defense held Penn State scoreless in the 4th quarter. American Football has always been the World’s most competitive TEAM GAME.

        • That’s a born leader – Darnhold – and an up and coming receiver – Burnett – who sees that leader and expects that leader to deliver because the receiver will be there – period!

  3. Unrelated note: Ted Miller was laid of from ESPN this week – makes sense only in this regard – ESPN doesn’t like talking/reporting about the Pac-12, so why not just cut ties with their lead Pac-12 reporter? Have you seen the full list of layoffs form last week? Ed Werder, Len Elmore, Andy Katz, an a ton more…. Bob Ley said there is “no diversity of thought at ESPN” – that’s damning from their own guy.

    • I know this will sound like a sexist diatribe, and most likely is, but for me sports was always a get away, not just from everyday problems, but also a man cave of sorts. Somewhere I could go and get away from variety shows, talk shows, politics and just enjoy watching the best athletes (men) demonstrate and execute their trade at the highest levels. Listen to descriptions from experienced commentators (men), who knew what getting their bell rung meant, or why breaking a tackle was an exceptionally tough play.
      Now I’m treated too a bunch of people with a social and political agenda that are all too willing to tell me what’s right or wrong, or why this guys stylish new glasses without lenses are so cool, what music or movie is hot and all sort of other mishmash. Instead of being different, they became a variety show with some sports.
      When I want news, news is what I want, not opinion, lectures, life lessons, fashion statements, etc., and that goes more than double for sports…

      • On Mad Dog Sports Radio they recently replaced the knowledgeable male drive time commentator with “The Left Coast” featuring two dingbats, Nicole Zaloumis and Ric Bucher, who chat about anything but sports.

      • That’s the reason ESPN is heading for the toilet – championing that clown that the Rams picked who was ‘festi%3’ and then giving that awad to Bruce-Catwomen Jenner. Then the outrage over what NC did re. ‘trans@en)er.

        In the meantime they’re in the same boat Time Warner found themselves in with that awful cable deal they gave to the Dodgers – thus 3+ years later TW is gone.

        It’s going to get worse as more of the femi&a&is demand they can play in the MLB, NBA NFL NHL.

        It’s also the reason Trump won

    • They cut all the talent and kept all the preaching SJWs like Mike Greenberg, Stephen A Smith and Max Kellerman.

  4. If USC’s OL was good, as we all knew it wasn’t, the Trojans would have had a much more consistent running game. Heck, Justin Davis would have been drafted if he’d had any room to run half the time.

    And Darnold covered up for a lot of problems, as we also all know. After this season we’ll learn for sure just how amazing he was. Best USC QB ever, all-time. That’s my prediction.

    • Makes it all the more remarkable RoJo was able to get the yards he did. Of course the opponent had something to do with it. You know, we are slapping Clay Helton on the back in turning the team around last year. But he still hasn’t impressed anyone with the coaches he has brought in for both lines. Oh he talks about how important the lines are…

  5. USC had and always will have a ton of god given talent. Fight On in Jesus name the only one who can save. All of heaven rejoices when you accept Jesus as your lord and savior!

  6. Looks like Isaac Whitney is signing with the Raiders, as it was reported in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, which covers the Raiders a lot now that the Raiders are moving here.

  7. No casual USC fan learned anything new from the draft as everyone should have been able to determine for themselves that USC’s oline was pretty bad last year. Run blocking was consistently bad and pass blocking was not much better.

  8. What we really learned is that trying to put together an accurate mock draft is like trying to predict March Madness. Every single trade, 90% of which are unpredictable in terms of moves and space, and every single pick remixes the entire field’s preferences. Faves are suddenly gone while windfalls somehow remain. It’s amazing the mock guys come as close as they do in view of all the intentional misinfo that gets planted for strategic reasons.

    I think that every single guy actually drafted in the first round was on someone’s mock first round except TE David Njoku (#29 to the Browns). And I probably just overlooked him.

    It was a very entertaining draft and I’m very happy for Adoree. I didn’t think for sure he’d be taken in Round 1, but a couple of days before the draft, some big-wig draft guy predicted him in the mid-to-late-teens and sure enough, he was nailed at #18. Glad for JuJu too, to get a 2nd round bid. He’s what, 20 years old?

    • What I don’t get is why teams will trade up to take a mediocre player that surely would have still been there when it was their normal turn. Mystery.

      • I think it’s all about evaluation (so many differing opinions), need and fear (look at the what I would call mediocre QBs all taken at the top of the first round).

        You never really know when a guy’s gonna suddenly come off, like Adoree. Most all of us thought he would last until 28 or so. Suddenly at 18, he’s off. Way early. Who knows how many other teams shook their heads in disappointment. And I’ve watched Adoree for three years and I can’t tell you he’ll be a really good NFL corner. He got beat big a lot. And for a guy who seems pretty smart, that surprised me.

        And #18 for a good returner is a high price to pay. That’s a very high impact position. Easy to get hurt as Adoree found out in the RB.

      • The Packers were hoping some other team would ‘trade’ a pick for the little used Hundley – in 2019 his contract expires …

        OT – even as awful as the Browns, Jets and Bears are I’d say the 49er’s are the pick to come in last this time next year to get Darnhold. At least with Chicago and SF Darnhold has a chance – no one, because of the documented incompetency, has any chance if they are picked to play for the Browns or Jets

    • Who ever said that USC had a good OL in 2016? You never wrote that; I never wrote that. In fact, both of us expressed concern about the OL in 2017!

      Of all of Darnold’s abilities, his most consistently complimented talent was his ability to escape the collapsing pocket, keep his eyes downfield, and make plays. (Even with that elongated throwing motion that Scott recently harped on).

      I do feel bad for D. Mama’s not taking the opportunity to return to USC in 2017, and REALLY GET HIS WEIGHT UNDER CONTROL, in order to see how much that might improve his play and HIS NFL prospects.

      This draft was foreseeable as to the USC players who made themselves available.

  9. We learned nothing new……
    You rush into the NFL before you prove yourself and the “majority of the time” you get drafted late or not at all. Noted there are exceptions like Adoree but because of his multi-ability to play many positions, it helped him out. I felt sorry for JuJu because he had to be better than many players drafted before him. However, if he had been patient enough to wait another year, his drafting could have been a lot better than today.

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