It didn't take long for one of the most talked about QB draft classes to begin imprinting themselves on the NFL.
We're a quarter of the way through the 2018-19 NFL season. Over this span, we've witnessed high-scoring affairs, a modern take of the "Greatest Show on Turf", and far too many overtimes and tie games to deal with.
Among all of this action, we've also seen four of the five quarterbacks selected in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft start at least one game.
And all four don't look to be relinquishing their spot anytime soon.
Success has been varied for each, to be expected at his point in their careers. Three of them have a win under their belt. All four have looked impressive at times, mediocre in long stretches, and completely lost in spurts.
One, Baker Mayfield, has looked pretty electric in his eight plus quarters of action.
The fifth quarterback taken in the first round, Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens, has seen game action as well. He likely won't supplant incumbent Joe Flacco -- barring an injury -- but the Ravens have found use of Jackson. Taking the field in special packages, Jackson is 1-4 for 24 yards and has also carried the ball 9 times for 45 yards. (Through three games.)
Still, it has been the top pick of the draft who has found the most success.
Baker Mayfield
Mayfield could very well be 1-0 as a starting quarterback if not for a defense that struggled against the Oakland Raiders. Or if he didn't have four turnovers.
Ten days after relieving an injured Tyrod Taylor and leading the Browns to their first victory since December 24, 2016, Mayfield turned in another solid performance.
Unfortunately, he and the Browns were on the losing end of a 45-42 overtime loss to the Raiders.
Mayfield certainly had the hated "rookie lapse" but continued to show why he gives the Browns their best chances to win. The rookie threw for 295 yards and 2 touchdowns, completing 51.2% of his passes. He also threw two interceptions and lost two fumbles.
The touchdown passes were the first of Mayfield's career. He's thrown for 496 yards and completed 59.4% of his passes in two games.
Sam Darnold
Sam Darnold, selected with the third pick by the New York Jets, was the first of the rookie quarterbacks to pick up a victory in the NFL. After an innocuous start by throwing a pick-six, Darnold settled in to help the Jets defeat the Detroit Lions.
After that, it's been downhill for Darnold and the Jets as they've lost three straight.
They've been competitive in the games, for the most part, so the growth of Darnold will be instrumental as to whether or not they get over the hump.
Darnold started out the season going 41-62 but has struggled the last two games with a completion percentage of 49.2. This includes a 17-34 day against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Darnold threw for 167 yards and one touchdown while finishing his first career game without an interception.
Overall, Darnold has 868 yards, four touchdowns and five interceptions.
Josh Allen
Taken number seven in the draft by the Buffalo Bills, Josh Allen was expected to be the most raw of the quarterbacks. Allen was slated to back up a veteran while learning from the sidelines.
That lasted all of one game.
Allen was inserted for a struggling Nathan Peterman in the season's first game and was named the starter in week 2 against the San Diego Chargers.
Much like Allen's college career, the results have been mixed. His accuracy in college ranged from 55 to 59 percent and we've seen much of that through four games. Allen has completed 53.3 percent with two touchdowns and four interceptions. He's also done damage with his legs, carrying the ball 16 times for 116 yards and two scores.
As good as Allen was in an upset victory over the Minnesota Vikings, his penchant for inaccuracy was on display in Sunday's loss to Green Bay. He was 16-33 and had three turnovers all while being sacked seven times.
This type of play has been seen from Allen, but it's his strong arm that continues to wow fans. He completed a 57-yard pass to Zay Jones earlier this season, of which the ball traveled 64 yards in the air.
Josh Rosen
Josh Rosen, selected number 10 by the Arizona Cardinals, was the fourth quarterback taken and the fourth to earn a start.
In his debut, Rosen nearly led the Cardinals to a victory over the Seattle Seahawks. Seattle hung on, kicking a last-second field goal for a 20-17 victory.
Rosen had some impressive moments, including a nicely thrown pass to Chad Williams for his first-career touchdown pass. He finished the day 15-27 for 180 yards and one touchdown. The previous week he relieved Sam Bradford and was 4-7 with 36 yards and interception.
Mayfield has the early edge in who has been most impressive. Of course, the sample size has been smaller in his case, with both Darnold and Allen playing in more games. As with any quarterback -- especially with a rookie -- the talent around them will help determine the success.
On offense, the Cardinals have the talent that might allow Rosen to win the most games this season. Each team, even the Bills, have solid defenses that might help each quarterback stay in games, even if they struggle.
All told, through four games, all four might be in for lengthy careers. We'll check back in quarterly to see how their progress continues (plus hopefully with Lamar Jackson joining the mix, one way or the other).
photo credit: it.wikipedia.org
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