SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- Carolina Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold grinned when asked about the hype heaped upon the five quarterbacks selected in the first round of the 2021 draft after their first NFL preseason games.
“I feel like they say that every year,” Darnold said.
Take the 2018 class in which Darnold and Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson -- reunited on Wednesday and Thursday for joint practices at Wofford College in preparation for Saturday night’s preseason game -- were among five quarterbacks taken in the first round.
ESPN’s Todd McShay had four first-round grades on quarterbacks going into that draft, something he’d never done before.