Sam Darnold won’t be throwing in Indianapolis at the Scouting Combine this weekend, which means that scouts won’t get a chance to see his throwing motion until USC’s Pro Day workout.
When they do get a look at Darnold putting the ball in the air, the motion is going to look a lot like the one he used throughout his time with the Trojans. Darnold’s motion is a little longer than some scouts would like, but he said on Friday that he’s not planning to change it.
“The motion I have is what got me to this point, and I really haven’t gotten into trouble with it,” Darnold said, via NFL.com. “It doesn’t change how fast I get the ball out. If I need to shorten up and get the ball in right now, I’m able to shorten my release and get it to them,” he said. “But if I need to throw it downfield, I’ve had a tendency of really cocking back and trying to let it go, where I just have to get my hip through more. That’s something I’ve been working on, but I don’t think it’s changing. My throwing motion is fine.”
Darnold’s wind-up hasn’t kept him from climbing to the top of the quarterback rankings in this year’s draft, so it seems unlikely that it will cause him to drop at this point. His next team may want him to work on it down the road, although taking him at the top of the first round would be a pretty good sign that they like the package as it is right now.