Sam Darnold is the first starting QB from the loaded 2018 NFL draft with a shot at Super Bowl glory

Looking back at NFL drafts from recent years, the 2018 edition is often cited as one that was particularly stacked based on what its prospects have gone on to achieve in the league. But while Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson and Baker Mayfield have all received more individual plaudits, Sam Darnold is the first starting quarterback from the class of 2018 to get a chance to win the Super Bowl.

Darnold’s rocky start in New York

Darnold was drafted by the Jets with the No. 3 pick for the 2018 season, after 2017 Heisman Trophy winner Mayfield and Saquon Barkley. At the time, he was seen as a franchise cornerstone, although it did not initially appear as if the Californian would live up to his college promise.

After three seasons marked by injuries and inconsistency in New York, Darnold was traded to the Carolina Panthers, where he lost his starting spot in his second season, ironically to Mayfield.

From backup to afterthought

In 2023, Darnold served as backup to Brock Purdy as the San Francisco 49ers reached the Super Bowl, although he lost the only game he started for the franchise. By the end of that season, Darnold held a 21-35 record as a starter, a résumé that meant few were ready for what came next.

The Vikings revival

At age 27, Darnold finally enjoyed his breakout season with the Minnesota Vikings in 2024 after being named starting quarterback following a long-term injury to rookie J.J. McCarthy. He led the Vikings to a 14-3 regular season record, although Minnesota was soundly beaten by Matthew Stafford’s Rams in the Wild Card round.

Darnold was nominated for Comeback Player of the Year, and another move, this time to the Seahawks, did nothing to disrupt his momentum. For the second straight season, he led a team to a 14-3 regular season record, securing the No. 1 seed for Seattle in the process.

Seahawks QB delivers when it matters most

Both Darnold and the Seahawks have gone from strength to strength in the playoffs. In a 41-6 thrashing of the 49ers in the divisional round, Darnold threw for 124 yards and a touchdown, completing 12 of 17 pass attempts.

He then got revenge on Stafford in a narrow victory over the Rams in the NFC Championship Game, throwing for 346 yards and three touchdowns while completing 25 of 36 passes.

How Darnold’s draft mates compare

Mayfield, the 2018 Rookie of the Year, has never advanced beyond the divisional playoffs.

Allen, the No. 7 pick in the 2018 draft and named NFL MVP in 2024, is regularly cited as the league’s best player. Yet he is still searching for his first AFC Championship Game win with the Bills, who have fallen short in 2020 and 2024.

Jackson, the 32nd and final pick of the first round in 2018, has twice won league MVP honors in 2019 and 2023 but has reached the AFC Championship Game only once, also in defeat.

Darnold, who once appeared destined to become a journeyman quarterback but is now 28-6 over the last two regular seasons, could now be on the verge of beating his more celebrated draft classmates to the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

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