Jets Contemplated Keeping Darnold, Drafting QB Anyway

The New York Jets considered keeping Sam Darnold, drafting a quarterback at No. 2, and letting the chips fall where they may.

"Ultimately we felt that wouldn’t be the best situation for Sam, the rookie quarterback, coach (Robert) Saleh, his staff and the locker room," Jets general manager Joe Douglas told reporters.

So yes, the Jets decided against keeping Darnold, and now he is a member of the Carolina Panthers. That opens the door for Douglas and the Jets to draft a QB with the No. 2 overall pick. Clearly, that's the plan.

"I think that's a fair assessment to say," Douglas said. "You can kind of see the direction we're heading."

Of course, Douglas wouldn't offer any takes on exactly which quarterback the Jets intend to take, but all the speculation has them nabbing BYU's Zach Wilson, right after the Jacksonville Jaguars take Clemson's Trevor Lawrence at No. 1.

Even former BYU quarterback and current NFL analyst Steve Young pegged the Jets to take Wilson. "Steve’s plugged in to BYU pretty well," is all Douglas would say about that.

"We still have our process that needs to be worked through," Douglas added. "There’s certainly some meat left on the bone when it comes to our draft process.”