Sure but Cole Beasley and John Brown actually played the full 15 game season. Corey Davis played 9 games and Crowder played 12.
That's still no reason NOT to take a WR in the 1st round. Chase, Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb, Waddle, and other great WRs have been taken in the 1st round. It would be so Jetsy to try to go cheap at WR wait until the 2nd round, and all the top WR prospects be gone, just like they were in 2020, and I think maybe last year. Yardage leaders also isn't the only stat worth considering. IMO the Jets need a tall, fast WR who excels at 50-50 balls, who has a huge catch radius and who can be our #1. There's only one WR in the draft who fits that description: Treylon Burks. There are other tall WRs like London and Bell, but they are slower and not as talented as Burks. Burks is a perfect fit for our scheme. IMO the only questions about him are does he love football, have a great work ethic, and a desire to be great. If the answer is yes to all of those, then he needs to be our 2nd pick in the 1st round. There are other WRs who are shorter who are great prospects, but don't offer what Burks does.
The My point is that calling taking a WR at 35th or 39th overall "cheaping out" is absurd. Especially if you end up using one of those picks at a position like TE as well, that's a massive investment in the offensive skill positions. Fans mindlessly focuses on the 1st round every year because they don't have the headspace to know more than a couple dozen prospects at most but star WR's fall to the early second every year.
Burks is a deep threat but they wont let Wilson throw it further than 8 yards down the field so its not a good fit
Most great WRs are taken out of the 1st round, and out of the top 10. Last year was an exception. When we look at previous 5 years here are the receivers who went top 10: Corey Davis (5) (we actually have a top 5 WR) Mike Williams (7) John Ross (9) Two of these three WRs were over drafted, maybe all three, while a bunch of superstars were taken around and after them. If you want to go WR top 10 you better have a sure fire winner. Like I mentioned, last year was an exception. The odds of that happening two years in a row are very low. And the rest that went round 1: Henrey Ruggs (12) Jerry Jeudy (15) Cee Dee Lamb (16) Corey Colemen (16) Jalen Reagor (21) Will Fuller (21) Justin Jefferson (22) Josh Doctson (22) DJ Moore (24) Marquez Brown (25) Brandon Aiyuk (26) Calvin Ridley (26) N'Keal Harry (32) The few charts I've seen have Burks projected to go in the mid 20s. If your idea is to try and trade down with 10, than get Burks, that might be worth it. IF we take him at 10 were taking a chance while leaving too many good defenders, which have a much better top 10 hit rate, and are a much bigger need, on the board.
It is not absurd, and I am not mindless, thank you very much. The most important need for the Jets is ensuring that Zach develops. The best way to do that is to surround him with the best weapons we can get. It doesn't matter how good the D is if Zach struggles or doesn't develop because he's got mediocre skill position players around him like the Jets have done for years, if not decades and have hurt every QB they've had because of that. The last time the Jets had great weapons/skill position players around their QB was the '80s with Toon, Wesley Walker, Mickey Schuler, Freeman McNeil, and Johnny Hector. By pick #35 or #39, all the best WR prospects will most likely be gone. Yes, some WRs taken in the 2nd and 3rd rounds develop and surprise, but that's always what it is...a surprise, and it can take them a year or two to develop. We need those weapons day one of OTAs, training camp and the first game of the season In case you haven't noticed, the NFL is a passing league now, and the WR position is one of the most important positions, and one of the best ways to help your team win more games. We'll just have to agree to disagree.
Do you see something special in Burks or is he just a scheme fit to you? You could split the difference and take George Pickins with the Sam pick in round 2. He's pretty close to what your looking for and is much cheaper.
This is pretty misleading. The picks after the top 10 picks produce a large number of good WR's because there are a far higher number of picks. That doesn't mean that you're more likely to get a good WR drafting one at 20 than at 10.
I see something special in Burks, he is a perfect scheme fit, and he is exactly what we need...a big-bodied WR with a huge catch radius, great hands, who can win contested catches consistently, and who has speed. Burks checks all those boxes. Pickens is coming off an ACL injury so may not even be full healthy, and imo right now he is only a deep threat and doesn't add the versatility and things that Burks brings to the table. Burks has lined up in the backfield and taken hand offs or direct snaps, has run end arounds, has thrown a pass or two, has returned punts and KOs, has lined up wide, and lined up in the slot. He has elite speed. He can block, which is a need in this offense. Pickens would be a depth-type pick. He may eventual develop into a complete starter, but that could take a year or two, if ever. I believe that Burks can contribute day one.
The point was if you want to go WR top 10 you better have a sure fire winner. Someone everyone is drooling over. A guy you know is going to excel. Not just a promising scheme fit.
Burks isn't just a promising scheme fit. With his ability, he could play in any scheme. I really suggest that you spend some time watching video of Burks.
Why is he projected to go in the 20s then? What is our obsession with over drafting non blue chip players? If we can trade down from 10, then okay. Taking him at 10 would be another Jet screw up. I'd take the safety at 10 over Burks because you need a top 10 pick to get him, and he would likely help us win more games.
Also we already have a "promising scheme fit" at WR in Denzel Mims that everyone has given up on. (right or wrong). Player development is supposed to be a major part of a coaching staff's responsibilities. But they get a mulligan with Mims, Becton, Davis, and others
In round 1 it makes a big difference. Every year round 1 has a certain number of blue chips, which means guys who stand by far the best chance at being impact players in the league. Its almost always a bad idea to turn your back on one of those players to overdraft a non blue chip when they are still on he board. Its a lot more acceptable to overdraft someone in round 2 or lower because then its much more of a crap shoot, and taking a guy where your picking, even if it seems too high, can be worth it - even necessary. Not in the top 10 though. You don't just say, "I'm going to turn my back on a blue chip player to take a non blue chip WR in their spot - cause they are a scheme fit". Especially on a weak roster. You have to be flexible and find they right WR lower in the draft.
He's a good prospect, but not as good as Wilson or Burks. Since they play games with the heights it's hard to tell, but he may be an inch or two taller than Wilson (meandean can better answer that), but he is probably two inches shorter than Burks. If JD wants to double dip at WR taking Burks in the 1st and then Olave in the 3rd (if he falls that far, which he most likely won't), then fine, but at this point and unless something major comes up with Wilson's character (offield issues, poor work ethic, doesn't love the game) there's not a WR in this draft class that I would rate or want above Burks.
