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The NFL Combine is just a few days away, with many of the top prospects are expected to participate in the various drills. Just like the many years prior, the bulk of the focus on the event will fall on the group of quarterbacks in the 2018 crop, which is filled with attractive talent, like USC's Sam Darnold.
The Trojans signal-caller is widely believed to the most intriguing player at his position in this year's draft class. However, Adam Schefter of ESPN is reporting that Darnold won't throw at the combine later this week, opting to focus on the other events and interviews with interested teams instead.
USC QB Sam Darnold, regarded by many as the potential No. 1 overall pick, will not throw at this week’s combine, and will focus on athletic testing and interviews instead, per source. He will throw at USC’s Pro Day on 3/21.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 27, 2018
This decision comes just a few days after it was revealed that UCLA's Josh Rosen, Wyoming's Josh Allen, and Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield will throw at the combine over this coming weekend.
This is an interesting move that could be perceived in many different ways, beyond it putting more pressure on him to perform well at USC's Pro Day later next month.
The combine would have provided Darnold the opportunity to show off his skills against the other top quarterbacks in this year's draft. Although the throws will be made in a controlled environment and without any pads on, it would help show his accuracy and arm strength to receivers running routes down the field.
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That said, there have been many quarterbacks in the past who have foregone throwing at the combine and still went first overall, such as Andrew Luck, Sam Bradford, and Matthew Stafford.
Prominent QBs who did not throw at the combine include Derek Carr, Teddy Bridgewater, Johnny Manziel, Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, Ryan Tannehill, Brock Osweiler, Blaine Gabbert, Sam Bradford, Tim Tebow, Matthew Stafford, Matt Ryan, Jamarcus Russell and Brady Quinn.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 27, 2018
There is plenty of tape from the last two years demonstrating the type of quarterback that Darnold is. He has shown off a strong arm that has helped him make many of throws that will be necessary at the next level. Darnold has also shown accuracy throwing into tight windows in close coverage while working well on the move in the pocket.
At this point, there is no telling if this will affect his draft status, but it does at least pose the question.
