2018 NFL Power Rankings: Philadelphia Eagles begin preseason on top

31. New York Jets

After years of trying to find a franchise quarterback to build the team around, the New York Jets hope Sam Darnold is the one they’ve patiently been waiting for. Seeing the former USC star slip to No. 3 in April seemed like a blessing for the Jets since the Cleveland Browns or New York Giants could have easily snagged him, but here is as a member of the Jets.

Now, it’s time for Darnold to spend the preseason proving to New York that he deserves consideration for the starting job in Week 1 instead of starting off his rookie campaign learning from the sidelines behind Josh McCown or Teddy Bridgewater. This certainly isn’t going to be easy since early signs point to the Jets going through a year of rebuilding, but also keep in mind there’s a reason why New York was so high on Darnold in the draft.

If Darnold can make a strong enough case over these next few weeks in the preseason, New York will have nothing to lose by rolling with him right away during that first game in September against the Detroit Lions. But before jumping that far ahead, let’s see how Darnold looks in his preseason debut against the Atlanta Falcons.