Jets' Picks Reveal Emphasis on Character By KAREN CROUSE Published: May 1, 2006 HEMPSTEAD, N.Y., April 30 ? The Jets' 10 draft picks range in size from under 5 feet 8 inches to over 310 pounds and include a cowboy, a kinesiology major and two husbands. For all their discernible differences, the newest Jets share a common football DNA. They seem to be smart, tough, hard-working, competitive, selfless and passionate about the game. They seem to be, in other words, a reflection of the Jets' new architects, General Manager Mike Tannenbaum and Coach Eric Mangini. Tannenbaum, 37, and Mangini, 35, became the youngest G.M.-coach tandem in the N.F.L. on the strength of their desire and their dedication. Those are the pillars on which they plan to reconstruct the Jets, who spiraled to a 4-12 record last season. "Toughness, competitiveness and leadership are all attributes that we want as many of our players to have as possible," Tannenbaum said Sunday. "We think that's a common thread to successful organizations, not only professional football but other sports as well. It's something we're committed to." The Jets unfurled their blueprint with their first pick Saturday, taking a 312-pound left offensive tackle, D'Brickashaw Ferguson of Virginia, when the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Matt Leinart was available. For the rest of the weekend, they did not deviate from their plan. Four of their next five picks were captains of their college teams: center Nick Mangold of Ohio State, linebacker Anthony Schlegel of Ohio State, safety Eric Smith of Michigan State and quarterback Brad Smith of Missouri, who was the Jets' first pick Sunday when the draft resumed with the fourth round. Smith, the first quarterback in Division I to throw for 8,000 yards and rush for 4,000, will start out at wide receiver. He said he had no problem with the switch. "I'm coming in as a team player and athlete, so wherever I need to go," he said. "I'm excited to make plays for the Jets." After completing his undergraduate degree in business, Smith is pursuing a master's degree in economics. "He has rare leadership, rare intelligence, his production's off the charts, his character is off the charts," Tannenbaum said. "There's a lot of things to like about Brad." If quarterback Chad Pennington cannot rebound from a second operation on his right throwing shoulder in less than a year, and if Patrick Ramsey struggles, the Jets will at least have some alternatives other than coaxing Vinny Testaverde out of retirement again. In addition to Smith, they used their first pick in the second round Saturday on quarterback Kellen Clemens of Oregon, whose arm strength, according to the Jets, is superior to that of Vince Young or Leinart, the first two quarterbacks drafted. Clemens, who was raised on a 3,500-acre cattle ranch in eastern Oregon, completed 64 percent of his passes in his senior year before sustaining a season-ending broken leg in the eighth game. "This is a chance to bust tail on my part," said Clemens, one of two draft picks who are married (Schlegel is the other). That kind of attitude is music to Mangini's ears. Mangini, an overachieving defensive lineman who was captain of the Wesleyan football team, looks for players whose infectious enthusiasm matches his own, players like Mangold, the projected heir apparent to the departed center Kevin Mawae. Mangold sounded excited enough to jump offside after he was acquired by the Jets with their second pick in the first round. "Wherever they want to put me, I'd love to be," he said. Schlegel, a 6-foot-1 linebacker, was similarly effusive after being acquired in the third round. "Wherever the coaches see me fit best, I'm going to do it," he said. "Special teams, linebacker, whatever they want me to do, I'll do it, because all I want is to help the Jets win the Super Bowl." While working with the Patriots' defense, Mangini taught wide receiver Troy Brown how to play cornerback to shore up a depleted secondary. That Mangold and Brad Smith are skilled and smart enough to play multiple positions is not by chance. "When we look at guys, regardless of what position they may be playing, we try to just look at, O.K., at the end of the day, they're just football players," Mangini said. Other players who became Jets on Sunday were Leon Washington, a running back from Florida State who is a shade under 5-8; tight end Jason Pociask from Wisconsin; Drew Coleman, a 5-8 cornerback from Texas Christian; and Titus Adams, a defensive tackle from Nebraska. It is a start, and a statement. "When games get tough, when a season gets tough, when situations get tough, guys with character usually win out," Mangini said. "If you can combine character with talent, you go from the good player to the great player. I really believe that."
