NFL Draft Countdown Jets Review

firemanedjr · May 27, 2008

First, we we're "losers." Now a B-. WTF, Scott Wright.

http://www.nfldraftcountdown.com/reviews/reviews/newyorkjets.html

The Jets may have surprised everyone by winning ten games and making the playoffs in 2006 but they have actually won just four games in two of the past three years. One of those rare wins in 2007 came in a meaningless Week 17 game against the Kansas City Chiefs, which dropped them from #3 overall in the draft order all the way to #6. The Jets aren't as good as they looked in 2006 or as bad as they looked in 2007 and as it so often goes the reality probably lies somewhere in between. When it comes to Draft Day this Jets regime seems to prefer quality over quantity and so far it's hard to argue with the results because guys they have chosen early in recent years like D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Nick Mangold, Darrelle Revis and David Harris are now cornerstones of the franchise. Will this draft class add to that core group and help the Jets get back to the postseason in 2008?

In round one the Jets were basically at the mercy of the teams choosing ahead of them. They were interested in Chris Long, Matt Ryan and Darren McFadden but since they were all off the board New York had to "settle" for Vernon Gholston of Ohio St. Arguably the top pure pass rusher in this draft, Gholston has drawn comparison's to Shawne Merriman and those might not be too off base because both are freakish athletic specimens. A college defensive end who will move to outside linebacker in the Jets 3-4 scheme, Gholston is still raw and may need some development but the sky is the limit in terms of his potential. Free agent acquisition Calvin Pace has one starting job locked down but look for Gholston to push Bryan Thomas and even if he isn't in the starting lineup immediately he should still be able to make an instant impact as a pass rushing specialist. Chris Long may have come off the board four picks earlier but Gholston has more long-term upside and in time he could be one of the NFL's premier front seven defenders.

For their next pick the Jets moved back into late round one and selected Purdue tight end Dustin Keller, making him the first player chosen at his position. An H-Back type who is a much better receiver than blocker, Keller was very productive in the Boilermakers pass-happy offense but what really put him on the map was his performance at the Scouting Combine. Not only did Keller run the best time for a tight end in Indy (4.55) but he also finished among the top handful of guys at his position in just about every other event as well. Personally, I felt late round one was a little early for a one-dimensional guy like Keller but the Jets obviously identified him as someone who could help ignite their mediocre offense by getting vertical and stretching the seam. Chris Baker is a solid player but he certainly doesn't scare opposing defenses so Keller should compete for playing time right away and it wouldn't be a surprise if he took over the starting job sooner rather than later.

In round four the Jets finally brought in some help for their secondary when they selected San Jose St. cornerback Dwight Lowery. A JUCO transfer who really put himself on the prospect map when he intercepted nine passes in 2006, Lowery didn't make quite the same impact as a senior and his stock dropped a bit after being a tad inflated to begin with. The big knock on Lowery is his lack of ideal speed but in the Jets defensive scheme that won't be as much of an issue and he will be allowed to do what he does best, which is play facing the action and go after the ball. Look for Lowery to compete for a backup job as a rookie and if everything breaks just right he could even be groomed as the long-term starter opposite Darrelle Revis. With their next pick in round five the Jets added a young developmental quarterback in Tennessee's Erik Ainge. A productive four-year starter, Ainge is a prospect that scouts either loved or hated and depending on who you talk to he was either overrated or underrated. Ainge will begin his pro career third on the Jets depth chart but neither Chad Pennington or Kellen Clemens are entrenched as the starter so it wouldn't be a total shock if an opportunity for some playing time arose relatively early in his career. However, for the time being Ainge is being viewed as more of a long-term backup-type in New York and that is the role he is being groomed for.

In round six the Jets attempted to bolster their depth at wide receiver by selecting Marcus Henry of Kansas, who they hope can be the big target they were searching for. Henry didn't emerge until his senior year with the Jayhawks and was basically a one-year wonder but he is a smooth athlete with great body control and ball skills, not to mention a nose for the endzone. Look for Henry to battle for the #4 wideout job as a rookie and he could wind up essentially replacing Justin McCareins. With their final pick in round seven the Jets added some depth for their offensive line by selecting Nate Garner of Arkansas. A one year starter for the Hogs, Garner isn't a great athlete but he has outstanding size (6-6, 334) and a little upside. Look for Garner to battle for a backup job at right tackle as a rookie.

Ultimately the Jets probably did about as well they could, although you have to wonder how different things might have been if they were picking #3 overall... Short-term the Jets should get two rookie starters out of this class (Gholston & Keller) but that might be all she wrote because, at least at this point, it's hard to envision any other members of this class cracking the starting lineup long-term. Gholston has a chance to be an impact player but for this class to be considered a success he must live up to his vast potential because after him there does not seem to be a lot to get excited about in terms of starting-caliber prospects.

GRADE: B-
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Mr Electric · May 27, 2008

Wright also thinks that McCareins is still a Jet. He's good at finding prospects, but I don't like the way he evaluates and his knowledge of the game and the NFL is horrible.

jilozzo · May 27, 2008

any GM in the league would take 2 impact starters from any draft and run with it.....especially if they appear to have pro bowl like talent on "paper"

disclaimer - i am not anointing gholston and/or keller to the pro bowl, but IMO, its as good a possiblity as any of the top talents selected in the most recent draft.

jil

SameOldJets2008 · May 27, 2008

He was so wrapped up in how we got the 6 pick instead of 3 to realize we got the guy we wanted anyway.

Also, shouldnt we include Jenkins into this class because we traded a 3 and 5 for him

DraftaFullBack · May 27, 2008

MrElectric29 said: ↑

Wright also thinks that McCareins is still a Jet.
Click to expand...

Where did you get that from?

WhiteShoeWillis · May 27, 2008

In order for us to have received good grades a month after the draft before a down of football has been played by any of the draft picks, we would have had to have doubled down. Anyone who knows anything about football knows that.

Jets81 · May 27, 2008

DraftaFullBack said: ↑

Where did you get that from?
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The wording could have been construed as Henry beating out Jmac in camp to win the 4th WR spot.

Just thinking about Jmac being gone makes me happy. Thats really gonna hurt all the teams we play next season.

wewantsapp · May 27, 2008

SameOldJets2008 said: ↑

He was so wrapped up in how we got the 6 pick instead of 3 to realize we got the guy we wanted anyway.

Also, shouldnt we include Jenkins into this class because we traded a 3 and 5 for him
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I agree with that. So basically hoping for 3 minimum starters + praying for them to be "impact players."

ToESonNoES58 · May 27, 2008

Anyone could give us the best or worst ratings possible but none of it matters until we see the players actually play..

SameOldJets2008 · May 27, 2008

wewantsapp said: ↑

I agree with that. So basically hoping for 3 minimum starters + praying for them to be "impact players."
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dude if you get 3 starters from every draft class your doing pretty well.

nyjcanada · May 27, 2008

gholston, keller, henry (slot) , lowery could all be starters by 09

NFL Draft Countdown Jets Review

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