The thing that gets me is that we're counting on JD to pick good offensive linemen in both free agency AND the draft. If that doesn't seem unlikely enough, we're then counting on Carter to blend and coordinate the holdovers (Tippmann and AVT) and the free agents, while developing 2 or 3 rookie offensive linemen! What are the odds that all this happens?
Good post, Joe, thanks for doing the research. You do realize though that for 10 guys you gave there are about 60+ on the opposite side. Also, Max sucks, so I will ignore him. And even from that list, except for Sewel, Slater, and Alaric, everyone else has longer arms than Fuaga, who is not only short of 34, he is short of 33.5. Alaric is just OK, and Sewel and Slater are great athletes, who were much more dominant pass protectors in College than Fuaga. The point is that while I concede there are a few good guys with arms same or shorter than Fuaga at tackle, it is very rare, and these guys are elite athletes with much better College credentials than Fuaga. Still, maybe he will become a good RT, I just can't bank on it. It's not just the arms, it's him not being great at pass pro in College and more of a power guy than light on his feet. Just overall I do think he will be a good guard and overall a very good prospect, I don't hate him at all, I like him a lot. I am just not sure about him definitely being a RT, and I think we will need a true Tackle in the draft, that's all there is to it.
good post. I can’t disagree that Fuaga is not the same caliber of athlete as some of the relatively short armed tackles I mentioned. I think you’re right that the Combine will shed light on his ability to stay at tackle. I think he will show enough ability to stay there, but I don’t think he’s a great athlete. in fact, despite the great need around the NFL for offensive linemen, I will be greatly surprised if Fuaga pushes superior athletes at their positions out of the top 9. I think that even teams in the top 9 that can use an offensive lineman will be blown away by the superior upside of a Bowers or a Turner, and will then decide to take an offensive lineman later in the draft, passing on Fuaga.
By the way, it occurs to me that Mitchell’s relatively short arms are an important piece of the puzzle regarding why he has sucked. He was considered to be a good prospect at tackle based on his college tape. It was noted that he badly needed to build up his strength. They should’ve added that while building up his strength may have been possible, he could not grow longer arms. For me these two factors explain what I saw in his play, that is, defensive ends reaching out with their superior reach and strength and pushing Mitchell out of the way. It didn’t seem to matter how quickly Mitchell could move his feet.
Of course if that happens, one of those teams will end up with a Hall of Fame quarterback and the trade will leave the Jets with another "if only" story while they spend the next decade cycling through the JAGs of the month club.
Yeah, if there is a tun on tackle and 3 OTs are gone before 10, we just have to take Latham and not think too much about it. But I think only Alt and Fashanu will be gone, as there are quite a few good players at other positions, and I would prefer to trade down a bit, because there is a big drop off from Fashanu and the next guy. Now I get your point about not getting my hopes up for Fashanu, and doubt he will be there, but by nature I am hoping for the best while preparing for the worst (often known as inevitable in Jetsland). Looking at Max's pick now that I actually studied the prospects a bit more, it seems like a dubious selection at the time. Max did play well in College, but against poor non P5 competition. Coupled with awful sr bowl showing where he actually went against P5 guys (which somehow the Jets missed even as coaches there), short arms and poor athleticism (5.53 RAS score), he should have been a late round pick, if at all. No wonder he wasn't even in top 300 for Connor Rogers, whom I learned to respect. JD picked him at 111. Something needs to be different this year - lets hope a lot of these obvious fuck-ups were aided by the two FO guys we no longer have.
Great point on Tomlinson--HE STINKS! Don't have much confidence in Douglas finding a quality free agent WR. Just last year he gave out the biggest free agent contract in the NFL to any WR--$44M to Lazard. Who did he think he was bidding against? But he saved us by taking McDonald at pick 15 when we already had tons of edge rushers. Douglas has had 1 good offseason and that was the 2022 draft. Everything else he has touched has gone down the toilet. Looking forward to a new GM. I seriously cannot believe he had two months to prepare for the 2023 draft, and then he took McDonald at 15 and then they kept him inactive for games early in the season (????????????????).
You run to the podium for Alt or Fashanu. Fuaga looks like a G to me, maybe a RT, but he doesn’t look like a top 10 prospect to me. I think his ceiling is a solid journeyman type of player.
I personally hope he goes back to the John Wick look to solidify his savior complex for this season. He does grow a mean stache though, no debate.
I see some draft analysts rate JC Latham very highly. He does seem like a well-rounded prospect. I wonder if he could be an option in the 1st.
Obsessing over a first round draft pick because we desperately need the player to pan out immediately due to lack of talent and roster management... time is a flat circle. The guy you like could very well blow, the guy you hate could very well be a stud. I dont have it in me to debate it anymore. Just take a player that's going to contribute please.
I think if we stay at 10 the pick will be one of the following: Alt (OT) Fashanu (OT) MH Jr (WR) Nabers (WR) C Williams (QB) D Maye (QB) J Daniels (QB) Bowers (TE) I do not see them drafting Fuega at 10, he’s not a top 10 prospect. He’s likely going to end up being an OG at the NFL level, and will need time to develop into a new position. He’s a late first round grade IMO. I think the dark horse in play is JD drafting a QB. I think that’s a real possibility here because short of Alt/Fashanu/MHJ/Nabers/Bowers no one is going to be an immediate impact player, and frankly the draft should rarely ever be depended on as an immediate starter.
If these QBs are as desirable as the rankings all suggest, it would be stupid for the Jets to not try their best to trade back for a boatload if any of them are there at #10...which of course mean's it's likely the Jets will use the #10 on a QB despite never being able to develop one.
I know you’re gonna be butthurt about Zach for a long time, but the bottom line is we need a long term real QB. One that has the intestinal fortitude to handle the position.
