Not Your Ordinary Jets Mock

I found the following posted at SB Gang Green Nation by someone named crackback. He doesn't state if this is his draft and comments or whether he found it elsewhere, so I have to assume the comments are his.

I'm curious what you guys think about his picks and his rationale. I'm also not sure the players will go in the rounds he says they will/might. While I like his reasoning that OLB prospects should be better when they have played LB before, are used to dropping into coverage and playing in space, I know the problem is that Rex likes his OLB's to be in the 260-270 range, and usually college LBers aren't anywhere near that big, so the normal route is to take college DEs who are used to rushing the passer and converting them.

I didn't get to watch nearly as many games this year as in previous years, and then it was mostly Auburn, some of the bowl games and the Sr. Bowl, so I don't think I've seen any of these guys play before. I respect some of you guys' knowledge and wonder what you think about these prospects. Thanks in advance.

That said, I love addressing the pass rush in round 1. I think we could definitely use a playmaking S in the secondary, but am not sure this is the guy, but think I would also rather take a DE in the 3rd round. I have seen DeMarco Murray play several times before and like him pretty well, but I'd rather see an NT prospect like Powe or Kendrick Ellis in the 4th round if one is still available. If not, unless LT isn't gonna be back, I think I'd' rather them go for OL depth or another DLman if one is the BAP.

Jones really seems a little short for LB in Rex's system. What do you guys think?

I like the idea of a slot receiver prospect, especially if we can't re-sign both BE and SH.

I don't know anything about the kid from Grambling in the 7th round, but if he's already had a heart attack, I don't see how he could ever be cleared to play in the NFL. I don't think I would want the Jets to take him. I'd hate to see him drop dead on the field during a game or practice. That's all the Jets need.

Round 1: Martez Wilson, Illinois, LB, 6-4 250 -- Wilson played inside backer in college, but he was the 2nd ranked DE prospect coming out of HS. Genetically, he's a pass rusher. He just looks like a pass rusher. Its a good thing that he played his entire college career inside. He honed his linebacking skills and now he's ready to be unleashed as a 3-4 OLB in the NFL. Most 3-4 teams look for DEs bc of their pass rushing ability, hoping to coach up the linebacking skills as they go along. Often times, however, the transition ends up as a failure because the prospect never gets comfortable out in space. This won't be a problem for Wilson. His skills as a linebacker are already at a high level. All thats left for him to do is to craft his natural pass rushing insticts and abilities. He'd also be the perfect toy for Rex to play around with. He could be moved around from inside to outside without being uncomfortable. He can rush or drop into coverage.

Round 3: Robert Sands, Safety, West Virginia, 6-5 225 -- he's big, athletic, nasty mofo. He played FS in college, but I think he would beast at SS. He likes to stick his nose into everything and lay the wood. I think he's athletic enough to start at FS, but his length and athleticism would make him a freak at SS. And then you stick him in Rex's system and let him blitz with his big 6-5 frame up the gut and off the edge and he'd create havoc for opposing QBs.

Round 4: DeMarco Murray, RB, Oklahoma, 6-0 215 -- in a word... gifted. He's everything we want LD to be. He's got a big enough frame to bang it inside, and he's a good enough receiver to work out of the slot. He can do it all. He's more of a slasher than a pounder, and he's got unbelievable quickness. He's the reason we cut Tomlinson. And having Greene, Murray, and McKnight will give us a young and versatile trio of backs to leave us set at the position for years. In his final season at Oklahoma, Murray rushed for over 1200 yards and 10 TDs and caught over 70 passes for 500+ yards and another 5 TDs.

Round 5: Greg Jones, LB, Michigan State, 5-11 240 -- its probably a bit optimistic that he'll drop this far but i'm guessing his height will cause some slippage, and I haven't seen any mocks that placed him in the top 2 rounds. He's another middle backer by trade that I think will make a nice transition to a 3-4 OLB. This guy is not only a tackling machine, but he's an extremely effective pass rusher as well. In his junior year he had over 150 tackles and he had 9 sacks.

[You might have noticed my philosophy of grabbing LBs that show pass rushing ability, rather than grabbing pass rushers and trying to teach them to play LB.]

Round 6: Jerrel Jernigan, WR, Troy, 5-9 190 -- very small and very fast. The guy can blaze and would be an excellent option for the slot. I normally don't like little guys, but I always have room for explosive. He's a former QB, so he understands how to read defenses and can run some wildcat. He's also pulled RB duties, which tells me he knows what to do after the catch. He's the little guy you motion across formation and hit in the flat with a quick pass and watch him scoot and score.

Round 7: Christian Anthony, DE, Grambling, 6-3 280 -- Athletic, relentless, violent... all the good things a defensive player should be. Has expressed interest in dropping weight down into the 250s and playing OLB. But he missed the entire 2010 season after suffering a heart attack in August. I saw him play in the Texas vs The Nation game. He made some plays, and he definitely looked like he should be one of the ones playing on Sundays. I'm a sucker for a good comeback story. I like rooting for guys like this. Why not? Theres nothing wrong with gambling on the kid from Grambling with the 7th round pick.

 

I agree. Again, I don't know anything much about Wilson, but if two OLB prospects are sitting there at #30, one who is Wilson's size and has his experience as a LBer, and the other a college DE, and both are rated at the same grade, I think I'd rather roll the dice with the one who played LBer in college. I think it would be much easier to learn to rush the QB than it would be to learn to read offenses, drop into coverage and play in space. The learning curve and adjustment time to the NFL should be a lot less steep.