It's not that I value D over O, I just don't see a player on offense worth drafting in the top 6 to 10 picks in this specific draft. Your mindset changes with each draft. You have some really high level prospects on the defensive side of the ball. A lot of these players can change the game and bring a lot of stability, more-so then a Mike Williams, Fournette or one of the tackles. The drop-off in talent is also evident on that side of the ball outside of edge rusher and CB. BPA and need go into my thought process. If the Jets trade down, then it's a whole different ball game, but given the Jets draft history I don't see that happening.
I agree, that you need to be able to change your criteria each draft based upon the players you expect to carry over from last year, and whose available in the draft. I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on who would make the bigger impact to the team. IMO Fournette or Cook make a HUGE difference, bigger than anyone on "D" short of Garrett who isn't going to fall to them at #6. I wouldn't draft Williams at #6, but I might take Howard, although I think that's a few slots too high. I sure would take Mahomes or Watson, and all of these would make a bigger overall impact to the team than any of the guys you mention.
I voted TE / OL / Pass Rusher / CB. I'd argue that QB is greater than all four, but drafting the "right" QB is a very serious decision as every wrong decision sets the franchise back. I'm not opposed to drafting highly talented QBs in the late rounds in an attempt to find the gem, but if you're going to take one at the top, you better feel strongly that he's your franchise player. Mediocre is unacceptable that high in the draft (this applies to Hackenberg and however he pans out). So, pretending none of this years top QBs is the right QB, I choose: 1) TE - We don't have any talent here; literally worst team in the league. We don't even have a minimum level of talent, any pick at this position would be worthwhile. 2) OL - Teams all over the league are proving that an elite o-line = a winning team; regardless of the strategy employed by the team with that o-line. This is a position that should be drafted every year. 3) Pass Rusher - We have guys who can do this; but don't have a prolific rusher who can post 15+ sacks in a season. A playmaker like this would greatly capitalize on all the talent on our d-line. 4) CB - One thing Rex said when he was here is that CB is the fastest way to lose. I agree with Rex on this point and with Darrelle's recent early AM activities, we're left with a smoking crater at this position. We need a talent infusion fast.
But it's OK to agree to disagree that's the beauty of this message board and this fan base. A lot of those prospects in a trade down would be nice. Howard, Cook or Mahomes.
Howard would be a great pick. He is an excellent blocker and a recieving threat. If Morton installs the West coast system he is expected too, TE will be very important for us.
howard will be a top 10 pick in every redraft article 3 years from now. not taking him will be a mistake unless we walked away with our FQB and i starting to accept that we will not be looking for a high qb pick this year
I still like Fournette or Cook if we don't take Mahomes or Watson at 6, but I wouldn't cry if they took Howard because in addition to his pass catching ability, he's a great blocker and in essence we upgrade the OL by adding him.
I love Cook. I'm a little higher on him than Fournett due to his pass blocking ability and his great hands. I'd be very happy to see Cook or Howard , even Fournett on the roster.
I am just not getting the OL phobia on this Board... Last year if Mac had been able to pull off the Tunsil deal he would have pelted with Gas Masks
Tunsil on the field was 10 times the player any of this prospects are he was polished quick feet long , his pass propection was impressive . His hips on the combine looked like a DB. Anyways as a Bama fan Robinson is not a very good player just watch the game against Ten strong dude but not very polished. What we could do is trade up from the 2nd round to the bottom first to take Bolles. At #6 there are very good players to pass up.
The Jets have so many needs, I would take WR off the above poll, since I believe the Jet's will probably restructure Decker's contract and go with the younger talent on the team. Before I can definitely say what are the 4 most pressing needs going into the draft, I have to wait and see how Free Agency shakes out and the additional cuts that are pending down the road. IMO, a LT is the #1 need, (After QB starter) just don't see an answer at this point. I'm hoping Brandon Shell will fill the void at RT, he has shown promise. I think the Jets are going to cut Harris and Mangold to save over 15 mill. It's sad to see to great players go, but it's time to move on. We can address both positions in the draft (Foster, ILB) or at worst the Jets go with Wesley Johnson who played well. Draft a Center, like Jon Toth to compete with Johnson. The Jets have no choice to get younger to improve this team.
Lets face it. For us the first pick should be easier than for most other teams. We have a massive need at most critical positions: QB, OL, CB, FS, OLB/bonafide pass rusher, TE and RB for sure. So it would be pretty hard not to match BPA with need in this case. I'm of the opinion that you really have to try pretty hard to fuck this one up. But of course Jet's history tells us otherwise. The only play in my book that would be tremendously stupid is for us is to move up. You don't ever do that with this much available talent that nicely matches our needs and no sure fire cant miss QB. Staying pat or trading down is cool with me. So I think as long as we get a real difference maker and instant contributor at 6 in any of those areas I'm good. Yes including TE. Many people here think TE like OL should not be selected in the first round. I disagree. If its truly BPA I don't give a rats ass about the position, except for punter or kicker of course, which by design are never BPA. Matter of fact, getting a top of the line receiving/blocking TE could really put some muscle in the offense, and help our young QB with quick releases to either Quincy or the TE. So Mac will be measured rather severely by how well he does in the first 3 rounds.
QB is far and away the biggest need. That said, I'm not buying any of this year's prospects. I'd love for another team to trade up to #6 to snag one of them and give the Jets a boatload of picks for the opportunity. The second biggest need is LT. I'm not sold on Ramcyzk in the top 10, but I've seen him mocked as high as #7. I don't know if that means he's better than his film shows, or if it means the next best LT prospect is a big fall off. Probably a little of both. So, holding to the above opinions, if the Jets stay at #6, the best value is likely to be at Safety, which is certainly a position of need. Adams, Hooker, or Peppers should all have great careers in this league. Hooker is probably the fastest and the biggest ball hawk, which makes him the best fit for the Jets. I think Peppers will end up being the best of the bunch. A lot of guys on the board think Adams is the best of the three. I say the Jets can't go wrong with a safety this year. However, if I'm Mac or Bowles, and I want to make this team competitive for 2017 so that I still have the team in 2018, I pick an OLB. This team doesn't have the talent to do anything serious on offense right now unless they magically draft a young Michael Vick. They do, however, have a run stopping defensive line, and some young talent and speed at corner, linebacker, and one safety spot. The Jets can pick up Derek Barnett at #6, and a FS in free agency or in round 2 and instantly have one of the best starting defenses in the league. Now, it will be a great starting defense on paper, and who knows who actually shows up to play, and a couple of injuries will turn the Jets into an instant doormat--but that's just how it is when your franchise makes terrible decision year after year. For the good of the franchise and the fans, the Jets really need to infuse the offense with something---anything. But If I'm Mac, and particularly if I'm Bowles, and my seat is getting hot, I bet on having one very good unit and one very bad unit over two bad units that are set up to be better two years from now. At least with a solid defense, other teams will have put some effort into it and avoid beating themselves. The Jets could even have a decent record until the injuries pile up....unless the OTs put the entire QB roster on IR by then.
Peppers is a tweener and I think he will be the least successful of the three. I do agree that Safety would not be a bad bet. But we need an impact player that can alter the outcome of games. This is typically done by the pass rush.
The Jets have had even great defenses, but how many SB invitations has that gotten them? By your own assessment the "D" isn't terrible, although it does need help. But the real problem is the "O" - the skill positions and OL have been all but ignored for years, except for trading up for Sanchez, which was a bad idea, and even worse in hindsight. So the emphasis has to be on upgrading the "O". And while you're building your defense into "world class", by the time you get the offense even close to where it needs to be over the next couple of drafts, key parts of that "D" are going to be breaking down or leaving. You can't afford to focus on one unit exclusively as I you're suggesting, and defense won't get you to the Big Dance - it needs at least an above average offense, which the Jets are far from having. Add Fournette at #6 and go a long ways towards upgrading the "O" to where it needs to be. Then grab your pass rusher or LT, whichever one is rated higher at the 2nd pick, and go from there. You can still grab a S or CB in the 3rd round that will improve the "D", especially if you've already gotten your pass rusher. But you can't just focus on "D". And we shouldn't be shooting for "a decent record"...that won't get you to the SB, and worse, it dooms you to eternal mediocrity due to mediocre draft picks.
I think the selection might be different if you want someone with the biggest impact near term or long term. Probably a RB would yield immidiate improvements but a ball hawk safety and or CB or OLB/pass rusher will make this team better for years to come. Fact is till we find our QB we are not going very far, so build for a brighter future and keep searching for THE QB WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR.
I'm not suggesting that the D will save us at all. Did you read my post? I'm suggesting that slight improvements to the D are more likely to save Bowles' job for another year, at the expense of actually improving the team. I'm not suggesting we shoot for "a decent record" either, but Mac and Bowles are both on some degree of a hot seat, and I guarantee they feel like their jobs are one the line if they don't improve their W-L record in 2017. So they are aiming for "a decent record". As a separate issue: somebody needs to tell the Steelers and Pats all about how not having a top 5 draft pick will doom you to mediocrity. Pats haven't picked in the top 5 since Willie McGinest in 1994, Steelers haven't picked in the top 5 since 1970. Feel free to count how many top 5 picks the Bengals, Lions, Bills, Chargers, Cardinals, Oilers/Titans, Falcons, Eagles, Chiefs and Jets have had since 1970 with no VLTs to show for their efforts. Winners never tank.
