As the Giants continue the search for a new coach, their odds of landing a franchise quarterback increased dramatically on Wednesday.
First, UCLA junior quarterback Josh Rosen declared for the NFL Draft on Wednesday.
Thankful to be a Bruin pic.twitter.com/iph754UL2b
-- Josh Rosen (@josh3rosen) January 3, 2018
Then, about 20 minutes later, USC redshirt sophomore Sam Darnold declared for the draft.
Rosen and Darnold are widely considered the top quarterback prospects in the nation. With both declaring, the Giants are positioned to land a potential franchise quarterback with the No. 2 pick in the draft. The Giants figure to be in the market for the successor to Eli Manning, who turned 37 on Wednesday.
While there was speculation that Darnold could return to USC for another year of development, there was little doubt that Rosen would leave early. The 20-year-old Manhattan Beach, California, native is the most polished quarterback prospect in this class.
The 6-foot-4, 218-pound Rosen completed 62.6 percent of his passes for 3,756 yards, 26 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 11 starts this season. Rosen didn't play in UCLA's loss to Kansas State in the Cactus Bowl after suffering his second concussion in the regular season finale. Rosen missed a game in November due to a concussion as well.
Rosen figures to be highly scrutinized during the pre-draft process. Anonymous NFL scouts have criticized Rosen's character, saying there are "tons of issues" off the field. Most of those concerns seem to center on Rosen's maturity and dedication.
Darnold checks all of the intangibles boxes, but there are more questions about his on-field performance. The 20-year-old Capistrano Beach, California, native completed 63.1 percent of his passes for 4,143 yards, 26 touchdowns and nine interceptions in 14 games. The 6-foot-4, 220-pounder also had 11 fumbles in his second season as a starter.
If the Giants decide against taking the quarterback, they should have more suitors for the second pick because a QB-needy team will likely be enticed to trade up for Rosen or Darnold. The Browns are widely expected to take a quarterback with the first pick.
Dan Duggan may be reached at dduggan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @DDuggan21. Find our Giants coverage on Facebook.