The team needs an offensive play maker and Oline help just as much as they need an OLB. You don't take position for sake of position, you take the best player. If you think Chubb is a better player I have no issue with that. I just think Barkley and Nelson are slam dunk prospects with little risk and very high ceilings, and I rate them just a hair above Chubb.
Jackson has a lot of potential, BUT he needs to be in the right system. I don't think the Jets can, or would, make use of his best traits, they would try to fit this "square peg" into a round hole. I don't think Jackson fits a WCO system, and that's what the Jets will be running. I think if all the top QBs are off the board before #6, Macc will look to trade down. That's not what I want, but I think that's what he'll do.
If we're drafting for entertainment value then we should take Jackson hands down. LOL. But I get what your saying. There's no question the guy is a talent. My problem is: who do the Jets need more, a QB or a RB? Both Allen and Barkley have a chance to be special players and I get that the learning curve is greater for a QB than RB, but the upside potential impact is greater for the QB, so that's where I would go, if by some chance, the choice came down to either Allen or Barkley at #6. In addition, there'll probably be some good RB talent available in round #2. Not sure if we can say the same about QB talent in round 2.
Personally I would take Barkley in heartbeat over Allen, and then would look to take a QB with my next pick, but I seriously doubt Macc would do this. I don't think he values RB as a high priority, although I have nothing to base this on other than he skipped over some pretty good ones in past drafts, and seemed okay with a RB-by-committee approach. If his QB isn't there at #6, I see him possibly taking Chubb or Fitzpatrick because their BPA-D, otherwise he trades down. Again that is NOT what I want him to do, but what I think he'll do.
I normally would not go for a G or RB in top 6. These players are clearly special though. The best 2 players in the entire draft imo.
If all the QBs and Barkley are gone it will be hard to find somebody who wants to trade up I am guessing.
I hope Mac also covets Nelson and Chubb. The best value to me is taking one of those guys in that scenario unless they get a crazy good offer. Definitely not Fitzpatrick though, jeez we don't need any more Safeties.
Interesting..Nelson grew up in Holmdel and went to Red Bank Catholic..do they even have a football team?
I'd argue that 1) Barkley is a better "prospect" than any QB in this draft and 2) the Jets should still take the QB (Mayfield, Darnold, Rosen).
At this juncture, Lamar more than likely will go 15 to the Cards, I'll just take him on the 6. I feel confident, under the right tutelage, Lamar can be a very good QB at the next level. If I can do a swap with the Cards and gain some extra picks, I would do that as well.
That would be a reach, but you never know because Watson would have been a reach at 6 last year and likely worth it. If all 4 QBs are gone and the plan is to go with Jackson, I feel they should trade down in that case, but it's hard to resist somebody like Chubb or Barkley if he falls. It would be another Leonard Williams/Jamal Adams situation.
I think you have to consider Rosen, Darnold as your "best chance" qb's, Mayfield as your "HitOrMiss" guy and no to Allen unless he slips to the second round.
With a lot of positions, and a lot of times, your bolded comment is true, but not always. Having a great edge rusher is paramount, has been for most of the last 30-40 years, and is even more important now. Some positions are much more important than others. Edge rush is MUCH more important than OG or RB. While the offense has been ignored and needs some "love" (1st round picks), OLB should be the pick at #6 (or in a trade down), not OG or RB or any other position other than QB. It has been since John Abraham since we've had a topnotch edge rusher, and as a result, our team hasn't won jack. Top notch edge rushers can not only change the complexion of a game or the momentum, they can take over a game. OGs cannot do that. RBs can potentially do that, but OLB is much more important. The difference between Chubb and 2nd round OLB/edge rush prospects is MUCH greater than between Barkley and Michel, Guice and Penny. Similarly, the difference between Nelson and Wynn and Will Hernandez is much less than between Chubb and 2nd round Edge rushers. Blindly, slavishly always taking the "best player" is how we wound up with 3 first round DL picks in 4 drafts. That is not the best or smartest way to build a team. Need HAS to be taken into consideration.
I disagree that 'edge rusher' is paramount. Many of those guys are one trick ponies better suited for subpackage duties. If you get a good solid two way player that can pass rush and defend the run, that carries a much higher premium and is harder to find. There is also a higher bust rate, which needs to be taken into account. If you think Nelson or Barkley are the cleanest blue chip prospects in the draft, as I do, you take them. The only position I'd reach a little on is QB. Need plays a bigger role in rounds 3-7 as you have to fill out roster depth. In your example of picking DL's, notice Williams is the only one left. If we passed on him for a random player due to position, we'd have no DL at all right now.
We'll just have to agree to disagree. The premium prospects are in rounds 1 & 2. If you wait to rounds 3-7 to address need, you can often just forget finding an impact player at your position of need. We only have one starting DL left because Mac sucks as a GM and after 3 years still has no clue what he's doing.
I don't think too many successful GM's would agree on chasing needs in rounds 1 or 2. You fill your immediate needs in FA, and use the draft to improve the long term prospects of the team. One thing I will agree with, there has to be a limit into how much you draft into one position. For instance you are not going to take a QB every year in round 1. Likewise, I really hope we aren't planning on taking a Safety (Fitzpatrick) in round 1 this year. BPA is a strategy but it isn't absolute.
