The Miami Dolphins made a big trade for Josh Rosen and with that trade three of the top four 2018 NFL Draft QB’s are now in the AFC East.
When the 2018 NFL Draft began it was Baker Mayfield at the top and then it was all about who the Miami Dolphins might trade up for. They stood pat and drafted Minkah Fitzpatrick. Ahead of them, Josh Rosen was taken one pick earlier when the Cardinals moved up to get him.
Now a year later, the AFC East has three of those top four prospects as the Bills, Jets, and Dolphins try once again to close the gap with the Patriots. When Miami traded for Josh Rosen, he joined his fellow draft class QB’s, Josh Allen and Sam Darnold in the AFC East.
Now your watch begins.
Over the next several years and who knows maybe decade, the trio of young signal callers will be compared next to each other as they try to turn around franchises that have been downtrodden for more than a decade. The question is who will rise and who will be the first to fall?
In New York Sam Darnold has a good chance to succeed but that may not happen until after Adam Gase is fired in another three years. Gase, as Dolphins fans know, tends to get one-sided in games and that could put a lot of pressure on the young QB. His capacity to script away from the running game will put Darnold in the crosshairs of defensive coordinators looking to rattle him.
As much as Darnold could be the best in the group, he could just as easily be one of the worst. Then again the same can be said about all three QB’s.
Buffalo is going to ride the Josh Allen train and at times last year he looked good but wildly inconsistent at times as well. To be expected from a rookie of course. Allen has something the others do not though. He can flat-out run.
In his rookie season Allen was more impressive for what he did outside of the pocket than what he did in it. There is a lot of potential with Allen but as we have all seen, running QB’s only need one hit and it’s over. How Buffalo handles his out-of-pocket experience could determine his future.
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Now in Miami things are a lot less clear. Josh Rosen could eventually prove to be the franchise’s long lost hope but if we look at reality, he is a one year prove it or lose it. Rosen is more likely to be the face of the back-up role with Miami if he can’t prove he is “the” guy after the 2019 season. With the Dolphins seemingly wanting a top 2020 QB prospect, Rosen could find himself in a similar situation to what he just endured with the Cardinals.
Regardless the watch is on to see who can rise in the AFC East. Not since the 1983 draft has the AFC East been dominated by youth. In that year, all four AFC East teams took first round quarterbacks. Jim Kelly, Tony Eason, Ken O’Brien, and of course Dan Marino. Two of those four are in the Hall of Fame.
The Dolphins may not have selected Rosen in the first round but he will always be a first round draft pick.