Mr. E's SECOND Jets' Mock Draft 1/5/09

I spent a good deal of time on this...sorry I know it's a lot of reading, but at least it's organized - I'd love for anyone and everyone to post likes/dislikes, questions, and anything else. This is my SECOND serious mock, and I plan on doing one every month until the draft...I've broken each pick down, compared the player to current and former pros, and given an alternative option in each round. Thanks and look forward to hearing what you guys have to say -- hope I get as much feedback on this one as I did on the first. I've kept some of previous players and breakdowns, but I've had some risers/fallers.


Round 1: Senior 3-4 DEFENSIVE END Evander "Ziggy" Hood 6'4 295 Missouri -- Many may consider this pick a reach, but after Senior Bowl week and the combine, Hood will most likely shoot up draft boards. Ziggy is one of the most explosive DTs in all of college football...he can make the transition to 3-4 defensive end. He's second on Mizzou with 5 sacks, and he led his team with 12 QB hurries, but his biggest strength is his run stopping ability -- he gets penetration on almost every play. The guy's a gym rat -- he bench presses 440 pounds, and has added over 50 pounds of muscle since joining the Tigers. His motor alone should earn him a first round grade. He's one of those guys that never quits. My favorite thing about him is that he wants to keep getting better and better -- coaches at Mizzou say he's always the first to arrive and the last to leave when watching film. He also runs his sprints with the running backs and receivers. Shaun Ellis isn't getting any younger...Hood is the perfect replacement. You can never have enough linemen, especially in the 3-4. Ziggy Hood would bring athleticism, strength, and a never-give-up attitude to our defensive line. Tyson Jackson and Peria Jerry might be or might not be around, but I'd still take Hood.

PROSPECT COMPARISON: San Francisco 49ers DE Justin Smith

ALTERNATIVE PICK: Junior Vontae Davis CB Illinois

Round 2 : Junior RUNNING BACK Donald Brown 5'10 210 UCONN -- The kid is the REAL DEAL. Brown rushed for 100+ yards in every game but two. He's a threat to score every time he touches the ball -- he had a lot of carries go for 40 yards or more. He'll probably run in the low 4.4s, and he may even crack the 4.3s. He's proven this season that he can carry a team on his back by carrying the ball 367 times. I'm not worried about him running on tired and worn down legs because he's only been a feature back at UCONN for one season. He carried the ball less in his first two seasons than he did all year in '08. His stats speak for themselves: 2,083 rushing yards and 18 TDs. One of the knocks on him could be that he didn't catch many passes and that he's not a proven receiver, but he's shown good hands in the games that I've watched. Flat out, he's just an amazing running back prospect.

PROSPECT COMPARISON: Current Pittsburgh Panther LeSean McCoy...but Brown fumbles less

ALTERNATIVE PICK: Senior Larry English DE/OLB Northern Illinois

Round 3 (from New Orleans): Junior DEFENSIVE BACK Sean Smith 6'3 215 Utah -- Smith's the most underrated player at his position, by far. No one is talking about this guy and he deserves all the credit in the world. He's a tall, rangy defender that's great in zone, but at his best in man-to-man. He shut down every single receiver that he faced this year...he's one of the main reasons why Utah finished their season undefeated. Smith's the closest thing to clutch that you're going to get on a defense. Three of his 5 INTs came late in the 4th quarter. He's a shutdown corner at the college level, but a transition to safety could be ahead. Smith is one of the most physical corners I've seen in a long time - he loves to hit. I honestly don't care what position he plays in the NFL, because he's going to be good at either one. If he runs well at the combine, he could vault himself into the first round, but with guys like Vontae Davis, Malcolm Jenkins, Darius Butler, and Alphonso Smith, Utah's star corner may slip into the late second round or early third. I would like to see Smith play corner for the Jets...he's proven that he can play there and be successful - a position switch is possible though.

PROSPECT COMPARISON: Nnamdi Asomugha -- I know he's the best corner in the game, but he was drafted as a safety and he has similar size to Smith. They're size and style of play is why I'm comparing the two.

ALTERNATIVE PICK: Senior Troy Kropog OT Tulane

Round 4 (from Washington Redskins): Senior WIDE RECEIVER Ramses Barden 6'6 230 Cal Poly -- The Jets do not have any size at the receiver position...and size is basically everything Barden is about. He IS the best small school prospect. Barden's been an all-conference player 4 years in a row. We'll get to see what he does against "real" competition when he plays in the Senior Bowl. Barden has always been the best player on the field, so it will be fun to see what he can do against I-A players. His 40 time will be mediocre, maybe even bad, but he's productions proves that he has been dominant. He doesn't have the best hands in the world, but he's definitely not a drop machine. This team has lacked a redzone threat for years...Ramses Barden can be that threat. He's caught a touchdown in 20 consecutive games. It's time for a receiver like him in New York.

PROSPECT COMPARISON: New Orleans Saints WR Marques Coltson

ALTERNATIVE PICK: Senior Travis Bright OG BYU

Round 5: Senior LINEBACKER Clay Matthews Jr. 6'4 240 Southern Cal -- This guy's been a backup for most of his college career, but he's shown how special he is this year. He's finally out of the shadow that Cushing and Maualuga created at USC...Matthews will play in 2009's Senior Bowl and his stock should rise quite a bit. As a starter for only 9 games, Matthews racked up 4.5 sacks, 10 TFLs, 2 FFs, and 56 tackles -- as a linebacker playing defensive end. I think this guy will shoot up draft boards after Senior Bowl week and the combine. He's got a lot of great pass rushing moves and I see him as an immediate contributor as a situational pass rusher. He won't be a full time starter RIGHT AWAY because he needs to become better in coverage, but he has ton and tons of athleticism and a great football mind. He's a very smart kid. Matthews has a motor that never turns off. His closing speed is probably his best attribute...he flies to the ball on every single play and never backs down, never takes a breather. I see him as 3-4 outside linebacker, but if for some reason a coach is hired that switches back to the 4-3, Matthews could be just as effective as a defensive end.

PROSPECT COMPARISON: Lighter version of Seattle Seahawks Defensive End Patrick Kerney

ALTERNATIVE PICK: Senior Sammie Stroughter WR Oregon State

Round 6: Junior SAFETY Emanuel Cook 5'10 210 South Carolina -- The safety play opposite Kerry Rhodes has been a hole in our defense all season long. Abram Elam has shown flashes at times, but he's been far too inconsistent. Cook is a guy that a lot of people are going to know about come draft time. He's the hardest hitting player in the SEC. He leads the conference with 61 solo tackles and he's the best player on one of the better defenses in college football. He can cover just about anyone in the country and he can come up in the box and stick the ball carrier in short yardage situations. E-Man tears flat out tears it up week in and week out for the Gamecocks. He's the type of player that will have an IMMEDIATE impact on an NFL defense. With one hit he can change the game...and you can't say that about most safeties. I originally had him as a second rounder in December, but his off the field issues should push him down on many draft boards. I'll probably stick with this guy in every mock I make. He's one of the best players I've ever watched on defense.

PROSPECT COMPARISON: Indianapolis Colts Safety Bob Sanders

ALTERNATIVE OPTION: Senior Jasper Brinkley ILB South Carolina

Round 7: Senior TIGHT END Bear Pascoe 6'5 275 Fresno State University -- I'll will stick to what I said at the beginning of the college football season: Bear Pascoe is the best blocking tight end in college football. The Jets will hopefully cut ties with Bubba Franks, so they'll lack a good blocking tight end. When Pascoe is on the field for Fresno, it's almost like they have an extra offensive lineman out there. He's a dominant run blocker. He'll probably have a god awful time in the 40, but he's deceptively fast on the field. He also has better hands that most people give him credit for. Big Bear Pascoe will be an asset to any team. He will find a role on a team as a situational blocker and as an occassional redzone target. It'd be a steal to get him in the 7th, but I can dream...

PROSPECT COMPARISON: Current Jets TE Bubba Franks

ALTERNATIVE PICK: Sam Swank K Wake Forest

The main position needed, but not filled was quarterback. I just don't think they'll be anyone worth a damn at pick 17, and I'd hate to see the Jets waste late rounder on another QB that won't pan out. If Mark Sanchez declares, my mind will change.

(Sorry if there are some typos, but my eyes feel like they're going to explode.)

 

Why don't you like Matthews Jr. as a situational pass rusher? It's a gamble to draft him, but I have this team drafting him in the 5th round. Those picks rarely pan out, and if they do...it's a good find. Matthews has tons of potential.

I want a feature back, not a "thunder". Donald Brown can carry a team - he's a thunder and a lightning packed into one back. Brown is projected as a first rounder right now, getting him in the 2nd round would be great value. Andre Brown is a powerful back, but he has T.A. McClendon written all over him...he's also struggled with injuries throughout his college career. What kind of "value" are you looking with this pick? A certain position, and certain player?

I explained why I have the Jets drafting Hood at 17...I think he'll rise into the mid to late first prospect after the Senior Bowl and the combine. Who are the better 3-4 DE prospects?

Sean Smith will probably go a lot higher than I have him going, but I can hope -- it's only a January mock draft.

I don't get how you're "not a fan at all", when you like 5 of the 6 players you posted about. That doesn't make much sense to me...

 

There are more pressing needs...I know, but Donald Brown would be too good to pass up.

I think he's going to light it up during his workouts, and if he's available when we go on the clock in the second round, he'd most likely be the BPA.

 

I think Hood could sneak into the first round - he's incredibly athletic for a 300 pound DT. His 40 time might be something mediocre like 4.90-5.00, but he'll probably dominate the bench press. His run stopping ability and explosiveness are the things that intrigue me the most. He could have Dewayne Robertson type hype by the time the draft comes around...let's just hope he doesn't turn out like Robertson. Even if we do switch back to the 4-3, Hood can play inside.

After watching Brown a couple of times on TV this season, I'm sipping the Kool-Aid too. There's something about him. I just think he's going to be a special player. 2000 + rushing yards and 18 TDs in a halfway decent conference shows that he isn't overrated. His production proves that he has what it takes to be a pro running back...but can he be a full-time guy? No one will be able to tell until plays an entire NFL season.

Originally, I had Smith at 2, and Brown at 3 -- but it could go either way with both prospects.

 

I just think Evander Hood has a better chance to rise as a prospect at pretty weak '09 position, and Sean Smith could go in the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd - it really depends how the workouts go.

I think Sean Smith will go mid-to-late 2nd...but there's always risers/fallers.

 

I meant originally -- I switched the picks after reading it over. Right now, we really have no idea where prospects are going to end up. It's all speculation.

 

I'm not a Tyson Jackson fan either...

Your favorite pass rusher, Everette Brown, is looking like a Top 10-15 pick right now.

Greg Hardy could be a good pass rusher, but he can never stay healthy...and he hasn't declared -- yet.

Brandon Spikes and Clint Stintim would be a nice first round choices, but their stock is rising quite a bit...one of the two should be there, it just depends on where the FO and the coaching staff wants to go in this draft.

Players like Connor Barwin and Larry English could be there in the second round.