Its good that we got Chris Baker signed, at least we know the Jets have a legitimate receiver at the tight end position going in to next year even if tehy dont upgrade. But as much as Ive always supported Baker, I wouldnt mind seeing the Jets take somebody new in the draft. Vernon Davis is obviously the prized TE this year, and he definetely looks like a guy who could be an impact player early on. The problem is that with the 4th and 29th picks in teh first round. I think the Jets would like to get an answer at more of a need position with the fourth pick, and the 29th will be too late for Davis. A player Id like to see the Jets pick up, if not with the 29th pick than with the 35th, is Jeff King, TE from Virginia Tech. Doesnt have the raw measurables that Vernon Davis has, but he did real well as Tech's starting TE the last two seasons, hes got decent speed, but more importantly he has fantastic hands and good body control. Very athletic, played VT basketball last year. A little bit light at 253 pounds, but hes 6'5" so he could put on a few more to help him out as a blocker. Anybody who watched VT ball this year will have noticed him, he was always the go to guy in end zone situations, hes had some real nice grabs in the end zone. This guy is a fantastic football player, I expected him to start getting some hype this offseason as a mid to late first round pick but I havent heard his name since the season ended. If hes available with our second round pick, Id pick him and never look back.
Just to let you know...we already have 4 TE's on the roster... James Dearth, Joel Dreesen, Chris Baker, and Doug Jolley. I hardly doubt they would have resigned Baker if they were targeting any of the TE's in the draft.
I like Jeff King a lot too Disco, mainly because being an ACC fan myself, I've seen the type of player he is on a consistent basis. He's getting the same type of knocks on him that have bothered a few other VT players, like Tapp this year (Williams to a lesser extent as well) and guys like Ernest Wilford in the past. People see them as great college players, but not top NFL talent. The thing about them is that they come to play every game, and always put up their best, that's how the program has been so successful. King isn't a phenomenal talent, not overly fast, athletic, or strong, but he's the type of guy who can be a very effective option because of his hands and his approach to the game. He probably won't be taken until the later rounds (say 5-6), but that far down I definitely could see a team with an established #1 pick him up (like Philadelphia). Some other later TE's that I really like are Owen Daniels, the former WR from Wisconsin, and Charles Davis from Purdue. David Thomas is intriguing because he's a Cooley-type HBack.
PennyandtheJets; You listed James Dearth as a TE....yes techinically that's how he'e catorgized. But his main function ( and only one) is as the Long Snapper.
So is Dressen, but they both have to be able to play another postion, otherwise Kendall would be long-snapping.
Dreesen is a pretty good blocking TE and has decent hands. I think he will develop into a very good TE. Dearth sucks as a TE, and is only a good LSer.
I like Dressen. Think he will be a Jet for awhile. He will be good in double-TE sets and maybe our longsnapper of the future.
I love Jeff King, I think he is going to be a good Todd Heap type of Tight End in the League, but he is going to go nowhere near the second round of the draft. He is about the 7th or 8th best TE in the draft and I'd be surprised if he was gone before the 5th round. And for all the people saying we already have 4 TEs, I don't think there is any way we are going to kep Dearth and Dreesen this year. I think one will establish himself as the longsnapper and the other will be gone. I'm voting for Dreesen because he is more athletic and can actually play TE. Also, I think we are kidding ourselves with Jolley, he sucks.
This is my choice if he falls to the right spot in the draft. Dressen can long snap, so maybe its time for Dearth to go? http://georgiadogs.collegesports.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/pope_leonard00.html
Wow, Im surprised everybody thinks King will go so late. If he isnt picked in the first day, Ill be shocked... other than not being a rare physical specimen like Vernon Davis, which very few people are, there isnt much more Jeff King could have done. All ACC, team leader, really the main receiving threat on the team last year for all intents and purposes, played basketball for two seasons i believe since thats the hot thing for TEs to do nowadays. Every year some players go higher than their pre-draft media hype suggests that they would or should. Ive been wrong before, but I feel pretty strongly that Jeff King is a second round pick at the very least. Any later than that, and hes the steal of the draft. And to those of you saying we have 4 TEs on the roster, we cant take a TE in the draft... Jolley was a disappointing pickup by the last regime, hasnt really accomplished a thing since his early years in Oakland, hes far from untouchable, Dreesen was a sixth round pick who is a HORRIBLE blocker, whoever said hes a good blocker needs to watch some games, hes undersized for a TE and he got called for holding a bunch of times this season, Dearth is a longsnapper pretty much exclusively, and while Baker is a nice player, he hasnt exactly done anything to suggest that the top spot on the depth chart is his by right. None of these players is untouchable, and for that matter Baker is the only one who has proven he can be depended on even a little bit.
The Jets would be lucky to see him at #29, much less anything beyond that. Stu- There's a lot of talented TE's in this class, you have to think of it in tiers. There's the big 3, Davis, Lewis, and Pope, then you have the next few guys who should be late 2nd, through the end of the third round/early 4th, in Anthony Fasano, Joe Klopfenstein, Dominique Byrd, and Tony Sheffler. These are all guys who put up their share of numbers in school as well, and have some aspect of their game that scouts have really fallen in love with (example Fasano's blocking and Sheffler's athletic ability). After that, you STILL have Tim Day, David Thomas (HBack), TJ Williams, Troy Bienneman, Owen Daniels out there, the list just goes on with these kids from major schools who have numbers supporting them. What really matters is what they do when they get to their teams, not where they're drafted, because the turnover at the TE position is really is quickening.
Jeff King didn't do anything to push himself back in the draft, it's just this is an absurd Tight End class. There are so many great players available that he is actually like the 10th best and he is a very good TE. If this were last year, he may have been the second overall tight end but it is not.
I think we're going to see some improvement in the TE position just from the main three guys we got. Dressen, I feel is going to develop into a nice, solid TE and he showed a bit his rookie year. He can LS which is a major plus. Jolley should have a much better year if we actually stay healthy on the offensive side of the ball and same with Baker who is our best blocker. Those three can end up making some big plays for us this year and really open up the middle of the field.
