Cowboys news: Jason Witten says Jets QB Sam Darnold reminds him of Tony Romo

New York Jets rookie quarterback Sam Darnold appears to have a bright future ahead as a potential franchise player. Retired tight end Jason Witten sees some similarities between the USC product and his former Dallas Cowboys teammate, Tony Romo.

The New York Jets moved up in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft from the sixth overall spot to the third with eyes on being able to select one of the top projected quarterbacks in this year's class. The organization has been more than elated by being able to snag USC's Sam Darnold at the selection that has put in place a promising talent at the position for the franchise.

Darnold has been praised as being arguably the best prospect from this year's crop that could become the cornerstone player under center that the Jets have been long searching to land. According to Jon Machota of The Dallas Morning News, former Dallas Cowboys Pro Bowl tight end Jason Witten had some high praise for the 20-year-old while giving him some comparison to his former teammate Tony Romo due to his playmaking ability.

Of all the QBs in this year’s draft, Jason Witten says on ESPN he likes Sam Darnold the most. “He’s calm. He’s got this poise. He reminds me a little bit of Tony Romo, the way he creates plays. He has some of that moxie. I think Darnold steps in and is a star before we know it.”

— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) May 16, 2018

During his heyday, Romo was one of the NFL's most talented quarterbacks that had the ability to extend plays with his legs that opened up things down the field. His mobility along with accuracy throwing the ball made him a difficult assignment for opposing defenses to pin down throughout much of his career.

Darnold has shown some of that same ability to do those similar things during his collegiate career that helped make him one of the nation's top quarterbacks. Beyond that, he has shown great poise in the pocket along with a strong, accurate arm that should help him be able to make all the necessary throws at the next level.

There have been some concerns regarding the high volume of turnovers from lack of ball security and thrown interceptions, but those are things that the Jets are hopeful he work on improving in those areas at the next level. Aside from that, the fact that he has continued to get praise from other current and former players shows the vast amount of potential he has on the field to become a franchise quarterback in New York.