Sam Darnold’s short NFL Combine Performance

Sam Darnold the talk of this years NFL Draft and combine left much to be desired after his small showing on Saturday.

Earlier in the week Darnold announced that he would not be throwing at the combine and will wait to showcase his arm at USC’s Pro Day on March 21.

On his decision to wait until Pro Day, Darnold offered this explanation per NFL Network:

“I just felt it was the best decision for myself. Obviously, you know throwing at my Pro Day with my guys. So I think its gonna be an amazing experience and something I’m looking forward to. It was even tough today, sitting and watching these guys throw. I just kind of wanted to get out there and throw. So it was hard, but it was a decision I had to make and a gut feeling that I went with and stuck with.”

By waiting, Darnold gets the benefit of throwing to familiar receivers. Since he has been throwing to these players for two seasons, he knows their limits, what they can and can’t catch. This will aid in completing as many passes as possible.

Darnold also stated during combine interviews that he will not be changing his throwing motion that some say is too elongated. Instead, the No. 1 pick hopeful has been working on improving his lower body movement when he throws.

Since he did not take part in the combine’s passing drills, Darnold’s two tests were the 40 yard dash and vertical jump.

His official 40 time was 4.85, while his vertical jump was measured at 26.5.

In comparison to the 40 times of the past two No. 1 Draft picks Jared Goff and Jameis Winston, Darnold’s 40 fell in the middle:

Darnold’s combine measurements were as follows:

Height - 6’3 3/8

Weight - 221

Hand - 9 3/8

While Darnold had a rather quiet combine showing, it will be interesting to see the improvements he has made during his training the past couple of months. The quarterback has been working with Jordan Palmer and QB Summit in Dana Point, along with fellow NFL quarterback prospects Kyle and Josh Allen.