May 24, 2006 New York Jets '07 Draft Review -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scott Wright President, NFL Draft Countdown After kicking off what appeared to be a long rebuilding process on Draft Day a year ago the Jets were in a different situation this time around and their plan of attack reflected that. Last year the Jets surpassed just about everyone's expectations to go from picking in the Top 5 overall to the playoffs but despite that impressive turnaround there was still work to be done and their overall talent level probably wasn't as good as their record would lead you to believe so this draft was going to be an important one for the franchise. After astutely noticing a lack of depth in the mid to late rounds the Jets opted for quality over quantity, pulling off a couple of deals to secure players they wanted in the first two rounds and ending up with only four selections overall. At the end of the day this was probably a good strategy because they landed two players who they can build around but at the same time there were needs that went unaddressed. Let's take a look at what they did: One thing I am always a fan of when it comes to the NFL Draft is when teams get aggressive and are willing to pull the trigger on a deal to move up and get the player they want. This year the Jets did just that, essentially trading a 2nd round pick to the Panthers to move up from #25 to #14 to land the top cornerback available. For most of the process Leon Hall was widely regarded to be the top cover guy on most team's boards but in the last month or so leading up to the draft Pittsburgh's Darrelle Revis was able to overtake him, in part due to the sub 4.4 speed he showcased in workouts, and while he isn't in the same class as Champ Bailey he has a chance to be a #1 corner in the NFL. Cornerback was probably the Jets greatest weakness because even though Andre Dyson is solid on one side Justin Miller fell out of favor and guys like Hank Poteat and Drew Coleman are just backups at best. A great athlete with good size and speed who can also contribute as a return man, Revis will be a perfect fit in the Jets defensive scheme and could be Eric Mangini's very own Ty Law. After dealing up in round one the Jets were working the phones once again in the second round and ended up making another trade, basically sending a 3rd round pick to Green Bay to move up from #63 to #47 to land Michigan inside linebacker David Harris After a great senior season in which he saw his draft stock soar, Harris also worked out much better than expected and in the days leading up to the draft many felt he had a very good shot at landing in the latter portion of round one. When Harris began to fall the Jets pounced and he is exactly the type of smart team leader that Mangini needs to build around. Right now Harris doesn't have a clear path to the starting lineup but sooner or later he will overtake Victor Hobson and will end up being a steal for the Jets. Due to their earlier trades the Jets didn't choose again until round six but they found good value in Nicholls St. offensive tackle Jonathan Bender. After a great career at the Division I-AA level Bender quietly emerged as one of the top sleepers in the draft and many felt he would go even earlier than he did. D'Brickashaw Ferguson is firmly entrenched at left tackle but things are far less settled on the other side long-term and Bender could be a very nice developmental guy for them. With their final pick in round seven the Jets landed another potential steal in Clemson wide receiver Chansi Stuckey. Most had Stuckey pegged as a potential Day One pick following the 2006 season but he is raw as a wideout and has some durability issues that led to his Draft Day fall. Right now the depth chart is stacked at wide receiver and Stuckey will have a hard time earning anything more than the #5 or #6 job as a rookie but he could also see some action on special teams as a return man and a year or two down the line he could potentially develop into a pretty good #3 or #4 optkion for them. In Revis and Harris the Jets made two potential impact additions to their defense and both will go a long way towards helping Eric Mangini recreate what he had in New England with the Patriots. You also have to factor the acquisition of Thomas Jones into the equation and he should be the answer to their running backs woes so that is three likely starters on Day One, which is an excellent effort for a playoff team. Sure it would have been nice to bring in some more help along the defensive and offensive lines but Rome wasn't built in a day and while they might still be a year or two away from legitimate Super Bowl contention this franchise is now absolutely heading in the right direction and is light-years ahead of where they were just a couple of years ago. GRADE: B+
Light years ahead of a couple of years ago????? Junc says the Herm years were GREAT....Well, compared to the Jets of the 80's.
I think this is one of the most intelligent, realistic, and fair analyses of the jets draft this year that I have seen. Thanks for posting it.
I give it 3 years max to see real results. We start year 2 , and everything is looking rosie for now. Someones been reading TGG again.
I think Scott Wright got it Right ... definately the additions of quality players with all 4 selections moves the Jets closer to realistic contender. Like it or not heading into last season this was a franchise that looked like a very long term rebuilding project ... Mangini and Co. took great strides in turning things around and now the future looks brighter still than it did even 1 short year ago.
I hope we can snag an OL and a DL (perhaps even a TE) after the June 1st cuts. OG at least. I think a trade will happen. Wishful thinking.
Sounds to me like he was just identifying the Jet's weakest linebacker and figuring they'd shuffle around the bodies necessary to get Harris in the middle when his time comes. The Jet's strongest set of linebackers right now, if Harris is real, are probably from left to right - Barton, Harris, Vilma, Thomas. Really Thomas should be on the left because he's the biggest of them all but he's also the best edge rusher right now and you want that guy on the right side away from the tightend.
I guess U mean BT is the best PR out of Barton, Hobson & JV correct? Not saying much but for sure BT outdoes the other 2 in the PR dept
"this franchise is now absolutely heading in the right direction and is light-years ahead of where they were just a couple of years ago" I understand where he is coming from, but we were a field goal kicker away form the AFC Championship game in 2004. But I agree, this team is better than that team.
I can't say this team is better than that team, because for all intents and purposes we should've been in the AFC Championship game that year. This organization is still very much a work in progress, the overall direction is better but the team i don't think is better.
The difference between that team and this team now is that the average age then was alot higher and they had to win or that was it. This younger team that we have now IMO has the tools to get further with the right editions to the team. By the end of next years draft I want to be thinking , yeah thats it bring on the season and post season.
I agree. But I will only be saying that next year if they address the Oline by the end of next year's offseason. Both OG positions and RT have to be addressed. Which will improve the run game. As for this season, Jones will help the run game to a degree, but it still isn't going to be pretty. And I have a feeling a little painful to watch as long as "Give Me One" Moore "Penalty" and Clement are still there. Hopefull with the improvements on the defense, it will take some of the pressure off the Offense and open things up.
Yes I agree that younger is better. However, we still have some dinosaurs starters such as Kendall, Barton, Barrett to name a few. Also pussy Ellis is moving up there also. There are others presently starting that are not championship quality in my opinion. IMHO U are being a bit to rosey in ur outlook which means U have not done a good enough evulation of the team vs the rest of the NFL. Like I said before & will continue to say earliest that we will be a contender will be 2010
