The Jets, imo, have three Tier 1 needs: WR, OLB, OT. By tier 1 I mean that the position is both a major hole and we need a major player there. Right now it appears that the front office has decided it will leave the RT spot to Vlad Ducasse and Wayne Hunter, so with our first two picks we could very well be targeting a WR and OLB. The problem with that is by the time our 2nd round pick is OTC there won't be any "major" prospects for OLB and WR available. And our 1st round pick is too high for the players that will likely be available, assuming WR Michael Floyd is gone. So how can we trade down in the 1st and trade up in the 2nd? Jets trade 1st, 2nd, 6th to Browns for 1st (from ATL), 2nd, 4th I will explain the trade in detail in the post below, but the point here would be for the Browns to move up and get the WR or CB they are targeting while jumping division rival Cincinnati twice. At #4, the Browns could go with Tannehill, Blackmon, or Claiborne. If they take Tannehill, they could then be looking to get him a great weapon with their other 1st. If they pass on Tannehill, they should be looking at CB and WR with their first two picks. The Jets get a top 5 pick in the 2nd round and a top 5 pick in the 4th round. The high 2nd round pick will allow the Jets to land a "major" player at WR or OLB, which the mid-2nd round pick would not. The Jets also recoup a 4th rounder, which we gave away in the Tebow trade. And the Browns don't lose any draft picks in quantity. For the draft: 1.22) Rueben Randle, WR, LSU [YOUTUBE]3qTJkl-4s2k[/YOUTUBE] Randle goes 6'3, 215 lbs and is perhaps the most fluid/natural WR prospect in the draft. Whether or not you believe in Sanchez (or Tebow), a QB cannot succeed in the NFL without premier weapons. We have Keller, we have Santonio who is very good when he tries (rare), but then we have nothing else. We need a big playmaking WR, and there are a quite a few early in the draft. We take Randle due to considerable upside, playmaking ability, size, and strength. Randle is great at plucking the ball out of the air and he is tough to bring down after the catch. If he stayed in college he could have been the #1 WR next year and a top 10 pick. He also played with a pair of "ok" QBs, none of which will be drafted. If he played at Oklahoma State with Brandon Weeden instead of Blackmon, I'm sure we'd be talking about a Top 6 pick. NFL Film's guro Greg Cosell likens Randle to Hakeem Nicks, which I'm all for. 2.5) Andre Branch, DE/OLB, Clemson [YOUTUBE]Ba-2CfM1UoE[/YOUTUBE] Branch is a player that has grown on me a lot and someone that I think will be available with the 5th pick in the 2nd round. I also think it's possible Courtney Upshaw could slide here due to poor workouts, but for now we'll stay with Branch. At 6'5, 260 lbs with 4.7/4.60 40 Branch has plenty of size and speed to succeed at 3-4 OLB in NY. Unlike some of the other DE/OLB prospects, Branch was used all over the formation at Clemson in the "bandit" position which had him with his hand in the ground and standing up as a linebacker. This past season he tallied 77 tackles, 16 TFL, 9.5 sacks, 5 QB hurries, 1 FF, and 1 pass broken up. He shows elite quickness off the snap and has a very high motor. He is very active in run support and will only get better as he gets stronger and learns to play with better leverage with NFL coaching. Right now we need a weakside OLB to bookend Calvin Pace who can ideally take over for Pace on the strongside in nickel situations and in the future as a full time replacement. Branch is the ideal player for this -- he can immediately start opposite Pace, then Branch and Maybin can rush the passer on 3rd down, and at 6'5, 260 (or 270 in two years) he can move over to the strong side and continue to be a force. He's a safe prospect imo due to his success standing up at Clemson, vs. a guy like Mercilus who has only played with his hand in the ground. **If closer to the draft it appears that Branch definitely won't make it the 5th pick in the 2nd round, I'd likely take an OLB in the 1st and a WR like Alshon Jeffery with this pick** 3.14) Kheeston Randall, 3-4 DE, Texas [YOUTUBE]Pobv4oEcbBI[/YOUTUBE] This was the toughest pick for me. I had Bobby Massie here for a while but he's recently made big moves up draft board to the top of the 2nd round. We also are allegedly not looking into taking an OT high in the draft, or else I'd really consider OT Mitchell Schwartz or OT Brandon Mosley here as immediate RT starters for us. I also really like WR Marvin McNutt and think he is a perfect fit for the Jets (team captain, WR, rare leaping ability, tough over the middle, 6'3, makes the acrobatic catches) and would give us a great group of WRs with Holmes, Randle, McNutt, Schilens and Kerley. For the time being I'll do with Kheeston Randall, who has the potential to be a stud 3-4 DE in our scheme. Rhandall is a 6'5, 300 lb defensive lineman who has extremely impressive initial burst off the line when rushing the QB and can also hold up several linemen effectively to let linebackers run free. His problem at Texas has been inconsistent play, but not due to effort -- he has a very high motor. He needs to work on the fundamentals, using his arms better, etc. Rhandall is a rare athlete for his size (34" vert, 28 bench reps) and would be a one year development for Rex Ryan while he rotated in with Mike DeVito and co. Like McNutt, Rhandall is a model citizen and team leader. This pick helps our defense and pass rush now and for the future. Rhandall and Wilkerson could be a dynamite duo as bookend DEs for a decade, and hopefully Kenrick Ellis pans out so we have a great trio for a long time. 4.5) Nigel Bradham, ILB, Florida State [YOUTUBE]t9RDfkvOMXU&sns=em[/YOUTUBE] I'll mock this guy to the Jets every time -- I love him as a 3-4 ILB prospect. He's a rock solid 6'2, 240 lbs and moves fluidly all over the field. He's a rocket to get to the RB in the backfield, hits like a nuke, and covers like a DB. He's very fast and an amazing athlete (4.64 combine 40, 24 bench reps, 37" vertical). This last season he had 86 tackles, 9.5 TFL, 2 sacks, 2 interceptions, 5 passes broken up, and 1 forced fumble. He's a 3rd/4th round prospect right now because he still takes some missteps, has some mental miscues, and can get washed out by a blocker if the blocker gets his hands on him -- but all of these things are coachable. He gives 110% and is the kind of player we need next to David Harris for the long term. Bradham can sub in for Bart Scott on 3rd downs immediately, and may even earn some regular playing time over Scott if Scott remains on the team after the draft. Bradham is the same size and vicious hitter as Ray Lewis, and while not the same prospect I think he'd be a beast inside a 3-4 in the NFL. Certainly 100+ tackles a year and some game changing plays as a 3 down LB, as he's the kind of LB we can ask to run with Gronkowski. 5.19) Chris Rainey, RB/WR/RS, Florida [YOUTUBE]PZtpSjDQLPk[/YOUTUBE] Some people have Rainey pegged as a 3rd/4th round pick, but I won't believe it until I see it for a scat back in the NFL who didn't run the 40 in the 4.2s or 4.3s. I considered Isaiah Pead in the 3rd as a Jamaal Charles kind of running back, but I don't know how much playing time a running back not named Trent Richardson would get behind Shonn Greene and Joe McKnight. Rainey is a different kind of player than the both of them -- Greene is a hammer only, McKnight began to look a little Joe Addai-like, but Rainey is very Sproles-like, as in he can catch a swing pass out of the backfield, make one guy miss, and speed around the corner for a 40 yard touchdown. He can also line up in the slot and create a mismatch there as a receiver, as well as fill in as an explosive return man which we need so Kyle Wilson and Antonio Cromartie aren't asked to turn their focus away from the defense. I also like the idea of Tebow and Rainey in the wildcat backfield once again now that we have Tebow. If we are going to run the wildcat a lot, we may as well have the pieces to make it work really well. Rainey has a ton of chemistry with Tebow in a spread option attack from their days at Florida, and he would be able to start in these formations from day one. He also has scary speed that could make a Wildcat option play very dangerous. Because of this Rainey has more value to us than other team and I'd like to see us get him.
6.comp) Janzen Jackson, FS, McNeese State [YOUTUBE]ZkLX8m1ie7c[/YOUTUBE] I think this kid is going to free fall in the draft, which would be great for a team like ours that badly needs a free safety. If he isn't available we could go with FS prospects Brandon Hardin from Oregon State (6'3, 4.36 40, recovered from shoulder injury) or Neiko Thorpe from Auburn (6'3, 4.5 40, CB-moved-to-S led team in tackles with 100+ senior season). For now I'll stick with Jackson. Jackson could have been the #1 or #2 safety prospect in this draft if he'd always had his head on straight and didn't get booted off the Tennessee team. As a sophomore at Tennessee he had 69 tackles, 5 INTs, and 6 PBUs. He then got booted, enrolled at McNeese state and underwhelmed in his new environment 31 tackles, 2 INTs, and 5 PBUs --> he then declared early for the draft. Janzen is far from short on physical ability, but he will still be a project in the NFL since he never received consistent coaching in college (he wasn't receptive to it at Tennessee). If he has his head on straight, this is a typical Rex developmental project -- tons of physical ability, little bit of a head case, tons of potential. Hopefully he'd be receptive to a head coach like Rex Ryan, and I think this is worth the gamble. He'd have the talent to earn playing time at FS as a rookie mainly due to the Jets not having any FS right now. 6.comp) Lucas Nix, OG, Pittsburgh [YOUTUBE]VYA9dlHzla4[/YOUTUBE] 6'5, 320 lbs, plays with a mean streak and high intensity. He loves the ground and pound game and has the kind of mentality Rex and Sparano will love. He cleared major holes for Dion Lewis at Pitt. Right now he is rated as a late 5th and falling because he has a knee injury, but we can wait it out and take advantage of his fallen stock. I think Nix is an underrated prospect and a player that can start on some teams right away at guard. He needs coaching in pass protection and that will be a weakness as a rookie, but he can clear some running lanes right away. He reminds me of nasty guards like Harvey Dahl who don't have elite athleticism for the position but get to the second level quickly and block like maniacs. He can compete with Slauson for the starting LG job and provide nice depth at both OG spots if he doesn't win. -- http://www.49ers.com/news-and-event...ucas-Nix/4f2e67fc-8a64-4321-b0d2-e454eb38f21e 7.25) Josh Chichester, TE, Louisville [YOUTUBE]NqZ4uAK-qGM[/YOUTUBE] The signing of Hayden Smith throws a small wrench in this pick since I don't think we'll draft a TE now, but it's a 7th round pick and I'll keep it for the time being. I also love the prospect so it's hard for me to remove him. Chichester is a 6'6 (6'7 with cleats) tight end with 4.63 speed and a 37" vertical. He's a little lean at 235 lbs which will limit his effectiveness in his rookie season, but he can add 10-15 lbs over his first season and first two offseasons so that he can enter his second year as a 6'6, 250 lbs tight end with explosive athletic ability. Chichester is one of the best red zone weapons in the draft -- an offensive area in which we desperately need help. He had 5 touchdowns as a junior and only 2 as a senior as he was under-utilized at Louisville --> they only used him as a second, receiving tight end mainly. Chichester gives great effort as a blocker but needs to add some weight and strength to really be able to seal the edge. He is a great hands catcher and can certainly add TD's to Sanchez's totals. As an athlete, his measurables compare favorably to Jimmy Graham coming into the league except for his weight. Jimmy Graham as a rookie: 6'6, 260 lbs, 4.53 40, 15 bench reps, 38.5" vert, 10'00" broad jump, 4.45 short shuttle, 6.90 3 cone drill. Chichester measurables: 6'6, 235 lbs, 4.63 40, 14 bench reps, 37" vert, 10'05" broad jump, 4.41 short shuttle, 6.93 3 cone drill. So basically these two guys are the same athlete except that Graham is a tenth of a second faster in a straight line while Chichester is stronger pound for pound -- both have equal "explosiveness" in agility and jumping drills. As a rookie Jimmy Graham was a red zone threat only learning behind Shockey and perfecting his game. I believe if given the chance Chichester can do the same thing, providing an ideal red zone threat as a rookie while filling out his frame and perfecting his game. In his second or third year he could be one of the more dangerous all-around TEs in the NFL. We currently don't have anyone on the roster we can throw a goal line fade to, and that was Chichester's specialty at Louisville. I can envision a successful goal line offense with Keller working over the middle and Chichester getting to the back of the end zone in two TE sets. 7.comp) Junior Hemingway, WR, Michigan [YOUTUBE]uZTM3yrj0dw[/YOUTUBE] This is a toss up pick, but I think we need to add more than one WR this offseason. Even though we added Schilens and I have us adding Rueben Randle, Schilens is on a one year deal and is constantly hurt. If he were to get hurt we would be very thin at WR. Hemingway has prototypical WR size and tools (6'1, 225 lbs, 4.5 speed) and had a combine best 6.59 3 cone drill, showing elite change of direction ability and quickness. And by elite I truly mean elite. DeSean Jackson's 3 cone drill is 6.82, and Darren Sproles coming out of college was 6.96, so Hemingway has serious quicks which could translate to a productive NFL career as a slot WR. He reminds me a little of Victor Cruz with his quickness and toughness over the middle for a similar sized WR, but Hemingway's hands are inconsistent. He also played in Michigan's spread with Denard Robinson as QB and didn't get many accurately thrown balls his way. He was MVP of the Sugar Bowl with two touchdowns, his last game as a Wolverine. At the least he'll be good WR depth, but he can likely earn playing time in the slot or in 4 WR sets. Sleeper here. 7.comp) Derrius Brooks, CB, Western Kentucky [YOUTUBE]q6fk53fj0YE[/YOUTUBE] Brooks is an intriguing sleeper prospect and one that I quite like. He reminds me a lot of Sam Shields coming out of Miami for a few reasons. The main comparison is that both were originally WRs that switched to CB midway through college, so both have natural ball skills. The second is both have elite speed, with Brooks having more than 99.9% percent of CBs or WRs in the NFL -- he ran a 4.25/4.35 40 at Western Kentucky's pro day depending on the clock. He also posted a 38" vertical jump, 13 bench reps, and a 6.61 3 cone drill which would have put him in 2nd in the drill at the combine behind only Junior Hemingway. While he is 5'10 he does weigh a solid 192 lbs so he isn't a small corner, and his vertical jump and WR ball skills make up for the 5'10 height "disadvantage". He's a raw prospect as a recent WR to CB conversion but he took to the position quickly: this last season he had 48 tackles, 10 pass breakups, 4 interceptions, and 1 forced fumble. As a junior he had 36 tackles and 3 interceptions (1 TD). If he can improve his technique with some coaching he could become a Brent Grimes kind of cornerback down the line. With this pick I was looking for a nickel CB so height wasn't my main concern -- speed and cover ability are more important. Who knows how long we'll have Cromartie or if he'll move to free safety, and who knows if we'll be able to afford to re-sign Kyle Wilson once he's off his rookie deal if he continues to improve. Brooks is great CB depth and can contribute soon, if not right away, in dime and quarter packages. Quick Wrap: 1.22) Rueben Randle, WR, LSU 2.5) Andre Branch, DE/OLB, Clemson 3.14) Kheeston Randall, 3-4 DE, Texas 4.5) Nigel Bradham, ILB, Florida State 5.19) Chris Rainey, RB/WR/RS, Florida 6.comp) Janzen Jackson, FS, McNeese State 6.comp) Lucas Nix, OG, Pittsburgh 7.25) Josh Chichester, TE, Louisville 7.comp) Junior Hemingway, WR, Michigan 7.comp) Derrius Brooks, CB, Western Kentucky
I think due to the weak safety class, Janzen Jackson is a late 4th-early 5th round player. Would be shocked if he was there at the end of round 6. Normally if the safety class was fine, I can see it...but not this year. Too much upside to not get taken in rounds 4 or 5, even if he's a timebomb. Don't feel like Randle is worth the 22nd overall pick but I do like him. I like Randle as an early 2nd rounder so its a reach for me here, even though Randle could very well slip into round 1. I like the Rainey pick, in large part because he can be our new Leon Washington.
I agree that Janzen Jackson may not be available at the end of the 6th round which is why I put Brandon Hardin and Neiko Thorpe as alternatives -- both of those guys would be able to play opposite LaRon Landry right away imo. I put Janzen there because a lot of teams have removed him from their draft boards altogether, and he was very hit or miss in interviews at the combine. I don't know if he was a hit or miss in interviews with us, but this just seems like a Rex Ryan pick. I wouldn't be opposed to taking Bradham in the 3rd because I think he's a perfect fit for us and then taking Janzen in the 4th. Kheeston Randall is a luxury pick....I just really like the idea of Wilkerson and Randall as bookend DEs. I also don't think Randle is worth the 22nd pick right now either, but he won't make it out of the first round so if we want to get him we have to take him there. Randle has #1 WR potential and I truly believe he would have been the first WR off the board next year, likely Top 15. He needs to work on some things, but playing for LSU with two non-NFL QBs hurt his draft stock and production -- and yet he's still a 1st round prospect. Amazing hands, big, strong, fast and fluid...I like Greg Cosell's comparison to Hakeem Nicks. Due to his size I also think of Kenny Britt. I contemplated going Courtney Upshaw at 22 and Alshon Jeffery with the 5th pick in the 2nd round but Jeffery has a lot more bust potential, is less fluid of a WR, doesn't always get open, and has inconsistent hands. I liked Rainey for his ability to score from anywhere on the field, and I like him even more now that we have Tebow. Tebow with Shonn Greene or Joe McKnight out of the wildcat doesn't sound that dangerous to me. Tebow with Rainey does.
If the draft fell this way I would be extremely happy. Great job lots thought and effort. Thanks Bravo Zulu.
Appreciated, I put some time into looking at our needs and prospects through the rounds to see what may fit best. With the Browns locking in on Trent Richardson at #4, I'm hoping they are looking to target CB or WR with their other first and want to jump the Bengals 2x (need a WR opposite Green and a CB opposite Hall), the Titans (lost Finnegan), the Chargers, and the Bears (could use a CB). I've also become interested in George Iloka to an extent -- his size (6'4) and rangy centerfield abilities would be a nice defensive piece next to LaRon Landry and for defending Gronkowski and Chandler, two huge TEs on our rivals. If Ray Ray Armstrong had declared for this draft I'd be mocking him to us for that reason, as I think he's a much better version of Iloka.
I like all of your picks and ideas except for Chris Rainey. All he has is speed and a 4.45 won't cut it. I'd rather have a future starting Guard in the 5th than Rainey tbh.
Rainey may only run the 40 in 4.45, but he is extremely quick and has been very productive out of the spread offense. With this pick I was trying to find a player that can add to our wildcat. As I said above, I don't think Tebow with Shonn or McKnight makes for a very dangerous duo back there. Rainey would add speed and quickness that we currently lack, and he's done that with Tebow 10,000 times so it's a natural fit if he's OTC. If there was another speed back available that I considered worthy I'd go with him, but I really don't think there is a better fit than Rainey for this need. Chemistry, experience, speed --- very important to running a successful complex Wildcat with Sparano and Tebow.
