Jets Rumors: Execs Think NYJ Stick with Sam Darnold, Trade 2021 No. 2 Draft Pick

The New York Jets may not be ready to move on from Sam Darnold just yet.

CBSSports.com's Jason La Canfora reported the belief around the NFL is that the Jets could stick with Darnold for 2021 unless they land the No. 1 overall pick, thus giving them the chance to possibly select Clemson star Trevor Lawrence.

New York would then shop the No. 2 selection to more quarterback-needy teams:

"While Darnold's first three seasons have been punctuated by injuries and inconsistency, sources said Douglas had a strong opinion of Darnold coming out of college, and with a deep rebuild still ahead, and teams more willing than ever to include multiple first-and-second-round picks in blockbuster trades in recent years, that mode of team building would greatly appeal to him.

"'If you auction off that pick, you probably end up getting a ransom,' one NFL GM said. 'It's too early to know for sure, but I could see that be very appealing to him. It would be to me.'"

Darnold's development has gone backward since an encouraging rookie season. Through 10 starts in 2020, he has thrown for 1,767 yards, six touchdowns and nine interceptions while completing 59.7 percent of his passes.

Hs value outside of the organization sank to the point where ESPN's Adam Schefter reported in October that New York would probably fail to get a first-rounder in return for the 23-year-old.

As much as Darnold has struggled, there's still some optimism he can get things back on track in the event the Jets make a coaching change. Adam Gase was hired with Darnold in mind, yet Gase himself admitted the franchise "[hasn't] been able to do that."

Much like Ryan Tannehill flourished upon leaving a Gase-coached team, the same might happen for Darnold.

Baker Mayfield's improvement under Kevin Stefanski is an example of how the right coaching can make a significant difference for a young quarterback.

La Canfora also alluded to how the 2021 quarterback class doesn't have another prospect on par with Lawrence. Ohio State's Justin Fields, BYU's Zach Wilson and North Dakota State's Trey Lance all figure to be in the mix for a top-10 pick, but one could argue they aren't a significantly safer investment than Darnold.