Column: Jaguars Can — and Should — Learn From Jets’ Failure To Set Sam Darnold Up for Success

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

Few quotes are as relevant to the NFL Draft and the art of team-building as this one from George Santayana. While the NFL and the game of football change every day, it is as true as ever that teams can often avoid future mistakes by recognizing where past ones were born.

And there is no team that should recognize this more than the Jacksonville Jaguars.

No team has a draft pick this month as consequential or potentially impactful as the Jaguars, who are picking No. 1 overall for the first time in franchise history and will presumably select Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence. As a result, the Jaguars need to know every piece of information they possibly can on how to set a quarterback up for success.

While the Jaguars could turn to examples like the Chiefs and Browns when it comes to proper team building around a young quarterback, perhaps it is more important for the Jaguars to look at the opposite end of the spectrum. And there is no young quarterback whose career is further separated from the successful experiments with Patrick Mahomes and Baker Mayfield than Sam Darnold.

The Jets finally gave in and cut ties with Darnold on Monday, trading the former No. 3 overall pick to the Carolina Panthers for a sixth-rounder in 2021 and a second-rounder and fourth-rounder in 2022. It was the end of one of the least successful tenures of any top-pick in recent years, with the once suspected franchise savior flaming out at every turn with the Jets.

And while Darnold could never be confused with Lawrence -- even just strictly as prospects -- it is important for the Jaguars to recognize just why Darnold was such a draft bust.

Darnold was never a good player for the Jets (13-25 record, 45-39 touchdown/interception ratio, career quarterback rating of 78.6, career completion percentage of 59.8%), but this isn't the biggest reason he failed. And if Lawrence fails to live up to expectations in Jacksonville, it is likely he won't be the biggest reason either.

Instead, the largest factor here is the support put around the young quarterback. Darnold had an abundance of red flags as a prospect, but he also had the ability to make some truly incredible throws. He needed the proper environment to grow in to find success, but he got the opposite of this in New York.

The Jets drafted Darnold but placed him immediately on one of the worst offensive rosters in the NFL. That roster never improved by large enough leaps either, with the Jets losing their best offensive weapon in Robby Anderson, whiffing on Le'Veon Bell in free agency, and surrounding Darnold with replacement-level talent at wide receiver and offensive line.

Darnold was never set to be a star, but the Jets made it impossible for him to reach his potential. His development was stunted by their complete inability to field an NFL-level offense around him. This doesn't even factor in the fact that they hired Adam Gase, one of the worst head coaches in recent memory, to coach Darnold.

Darnold was never given a fighting chance in New York. The Jets picked him at No. 3 and thought their work was done; they thought they landed their young quarterback and the rest would take of itself. But the NFL doesn't work that way, especially not when it comes to quarterbacks.

Quarterback play has never been at a higher premium in the NFL than it is today. Every team is longing for the next big thing at the position, the budding star dripping with charisma and playmaking ability who can carry the franchise for the next decade.

But while teams have never turned over quite this many stones to find their quarterback answers, this hasn't erased the fact that taking a quarterback high isn't always a recipe for success.

A young quarterback having success doesn't happen on draft night. It happens during the offseason when the franchises selecting these passers take serious steps to give them quality support at every possible step of the way.

With the NFL rookie wage scale and NFL rules today, it has never been easier for teams to set their rookie quarterbacks up for a prosperous career. Despite this, cases like Darnold and the Jets are becoming more and more of the norm.

The Jaguars have already prepared Lawrence better than the Jets prepared Darnold. DJ Chark, Laviska Shenault, James Robinson, and Marvin Jones would all likely have been one of the two best skill players Darnold ever played with. The Jaguars' unspectacular offensive line looks like an impenetrable fortress compared to the Jets' lines during Darnold's career.

But the Jaguars still can't let themself fall into any trap with Lawrence. They can't select him No. 1 and expect him to save the entire franchise from his first day as a pro like the Jets did with Darnold.

Lawrence is a special prospect and the Jaguars are in a special situation. But that doesn't mean there isn't any chance for error; if the Jaguars want to ensure they take their special fortunes and make the most of it, they should ensure they learn about their history -- starting with Darnold and the Jets.

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