If things had gone a little differently in the 2018 NFL Draft, Brian Daboll might have been mentoring Sam Darnold.
Could Darnold have achieved anything approaching the success Josh Allen enjoyed over six seasons with a stable Bills team, as could Daboll have been promoted from offensive coordinator to head coach with the Giants?
Or would Darnold still fail to live up to lofty expectations, sending Daboll down a similar path of wandering after being released?
We may never know the answer, but Daboll isn't going to underestimate Darnold's potential in his Vikings debut Sunday against the Giants at familiar ground in MetLife Stadium.
“I know he's been on four different teams,” Daboll said, “but he's a very athletic quarterback, he's got a quick mind and he knows where to throw the ball. He's surrounded by really good players in Minnesota and experience helps at any position. I've always been a big fan of Sam and he has a good team and a good play-caller around him. It's definitely going to be a challenge.”
Daboll and Giants general manager Joe Sean (then an assistant general manager in Buffalo) “spent a lot of time” with Darnold during the 2018 offseason, including workouts, meetings and private dinners.
The Browns selected Baker Mayfield with the first pick, the Giants passed on a quarterback altogether to take Saquon Barkley with the second pick, the Jets took Darnold with the third pick, and the Bills ultimately traded up twice to take Allen with the seventh pick.
Daboll believes continuity in coaching staffs and offensive strategies will play a big role in which first-round quarterbacks succeed and which fail, as seen on HBO's “Hard Knocks.”
Take the 2018 class for example: Mayfield, Darnold and the Cardinals' Josh Rosen all endured coaching changes after their rookie seasons and became veterans, while Allen and the Ravens' Lamar Jackson are still playing for their first head coaches and have been MVP candidates every year.
“Every organization is different,” Daboll said. “I'm not going to speak for other teams.”
Daboll's track record shows patience in an impatient league: He developed Allen from an unpolished rookie into a promising player on a playoff team in 2019 and an MVP runner-up in 2020.
This is Daboll's third season coaching Daniel Jones, who is in a make-or-break moment in his career. The reason Daboll was looking back at the history of first-round quarterbacks is because the Giants seriously considered drafting Jones' replacement in April.
One of the quarterbacks the Giants passed on in the draft went to the Vikings, but rookie JJ McCarthy suffered a season-ending injury in August.
That handed the starting spot to Darnold, who went 13-25 with the Jets before being replaced by Zach Wilson and then 8-10 with the Panthers and 49ers.
“I think they have skill sets that can be developed,” Daboll said about continuing to use quarterbacks Allen and Jones. “We're going to continue to work with them and do everything we can, whether it's design, personnel groups, different types of plays that they're comfortable with. Consistent communication and understanding the system.”
“There's a lot that goes into this position. It's not an easy position to play or coach. Again, every player is different. I've been with some of the players that have been here the last few years and they've settled in and played good football.”
Daboll did not provide an injury update Monday, waiting for an official report on Wednesday. … TE/FB Jacob Johnson re-signed to the practice squad, and special teams ace WR Miles Boykin was waived.
