Conventional wisdom says it takes 3 years to evaulate a draft class. As we are well into the third season, it's probably fair to look at how Mangini's first class did. And I must say at first glance, it's good but not nearly as great as most predicted right after the draft. Here are the picks: 1 4(4) D'Brickashaw Ferguson T Virginia 1 29(29) Nick Mangold C Ohio State 2 17(49) Kellen Clemens QB Oregon 3 12(76) Anthony Schlegel ILB Ohio State 3 33(97) Eric Smith S Michigan State 4 6(103) Brad Smith QB Missouri 4 20(117) Leon Washington RB Florida State 5 17(150) Jason Pociask TE Wisconsin 6 20(189) Drew Coleman CB TCU 7 12(220) Titus Adams DT Nebraska
Starters - DBrick, Mangold, E Smith Good Backups - Washington Not-so-good Backups - Clemens, B Smith, Coleman Not on the team - Schlegel, Pociask, Adams So the FO only really hit on 4 players. And of those, DBrick hasn't lived up to his billing as a #4 pick. He's been pretty good and a solid starter at LT. But not the Pro Bowl like play you'd expect with such a high pick.
Guys the Jets scouts missed on (but to be fair so did most of the other NFL teams): 2 - LT Marcus McNeil 3 - RB Jerious Norwood 4 - S Ko Simpson 4 - WR Brandon Marshall 5 - DE/OLB Mark Anderson 7 - WR Marques Colston
How some other teams did in 2006: Houston - 4 of 7 still on the roster including #1 Super Mario, Demeco Ryans, starting RT & TE GB - 7 of 12 guys including Hawk, Jennings and 2 starting OL NE - 3 of 10 on the roster including Maroney & kicker Gostkowski Cleveland - 6 of 10 on roster including 2 starting LB and the rest backups Detroit - 2 of 7 (both starters) still on team including stud LB Ernie Sims
So if one looks at these other teams as a reference, getting 4 starters and 1 or 2 Pro Bowl level players is an excellent draft. And by that measure the Jets were pretty much a success in 2006. The Jets had three starters and 2 Pro Bowl worthy guys (Mangold and Leon Washington as a KR). If DBrick improves his play or Clemens comes around and is a decent #2 QB or can eventually challenge as a starter, I'd say the 2006 draft class would definitely be one of the best that year. If neither of those things happen, I'd call it simply a good draft class.
If you don't mind, I'd like to say a few words.. I disagree that Clemens is a "Not so good back-up." He is either a "good back up or not so good starter." The way I see it, we completely botched the Schlegel pick, the Smith pick turned out OK and Smith is a 4th rounder, expectations should be tempered. Adams was a throwaway 7th (how many teams have standout 7th rounders?), Pociask was a bad pick, but a 5th rounder so it is forgiveable. Coleman has stuck but is no more than a dime back at best but again, for a 6th rounder, I'll take it. I think that the draft was good but not the best ever. I would classify two picks as botched (Pociask and Schlegel) and all other picks to be solid.
Schlegel pick was botched, no doubt about it. He ran a 4.9 at the Combine and scouting reports had him as an UDFA. Even as a starter at Ohio State the guy was a horrible choice. I remember screaming at my TV when the selection was announced. I wanted TE Pope or LB Gocong who went the next two picks. Eric Smith was another WTF guy who I turned out to be (mostly) wrong about. He had great triangle numbers and only injuries kept him from being an absolute beast in college. Smart, hard working guys also. So I underappreciated this choice. I really wanted Darnell Bing (who's out of the league after tryouts with 4 or 5 clubs) or Ko Simpson (who is a stud). So I might have flubbed that pick. I liked Clemens in the second. Jaws loved Clemens so I thought that pick was genius. It remains to be seen what (if anything) Clemens can do. I thought Brad Smith & Leon in the fourth were great choices. But I expected they'd use Smith as a running back. That might have been more successful than the WR experiment with him which has failed. Pociask was a WTF selection also. Guy wasn't even a starter his senior year. He had UDFA written all over him. But Pociask did turn into a decent TE that we would have kept as a #3 if Keller hand't been selected. After the draft I found out Coleman was a Texas HS state sprint champion who ran poorly at the Combine due to a recent injury. So I thought that was a great pick.
All in all I was really impressed the day after the draft. I thought the Jets scouts had very good eye for talent for the most part. But 2 seasons later my view isn't so rosy. Coleman & B Smith are both likely to be let go this off season. Clemens can never seem to get over the hump and play well. Schlegel, Pociask and Adams are all gone. DBrick is not the 10 time All Pro we expected him to become. A good but definitely not great draft.
decent draft to date. Looking back, really kind of wish we went with Brandon Marshall over Brad smith in round 4. That swap alone would make this draft stellar with even more potential than it has now because everyone is still developing, and smith appears to be a ST standout and nothing more at this point...
"Really only?" What'd you want, 10 Pro Bowlers? And none of those guys are not-so-good backups...Smith has been very useful in his time here, Coleman isn't anything special but he's not bad, and Clemens is still up in the air. 3 years is more of a "you kind of have a decent picture, but not really" year. Clemens...D'Brick...Leon...Mangold...the Smiths...even Coleman...you think they're done developing? I mean seriously...D'Brick is not the 10 time All Pro we didn't think he'd be? He's played 3 seasons how would that even be possible? What if he's only All Pro 9 seasons? 8? 7? 6? 5? 4? 3? 2? 1? Is he nothing more than solid then? I think theres a seriously warped perception of what the draft is supposed to yield for Jets fans...
Chris Gocong was picked by Philly in front of us. Many attributed it to be the reason we picked Schlegel. The Front Office got cute, traded back and Philly jumped up and stole him. When he was gone they panicked and made a bad pick. That was the rumors at least... Pope also went before our pick... James Anderson on the other hand...
71 Philadelphia Eagles (from New York Jets) Chris Gocong DE Cal Poly Philly traded with the Jets. Then stole the guy we wanted right out from under our nose. We could have had Gocong or Pope with our original pick (# 71).
Did you even bother reading any of the thread before you started your rant ? You must have missed this part: "So if one looks at these other teams as a reference, getting 4 starters and 1 or 2 Pro Bowl level players is an excellent draft. And by that measure the Jets were pretty much a success in 2006. The Jets had three starters and 2 Pro Bowl worthy guys (Mangold and Leon Washington as a KR). "
I understand that. It was not implied that you did from your original post. Obviously you did as well but it was confusing.
Sure...I disagree with your individual player thoughts...this is not the end of the line for guys like Smith, Coleman, and Clemens...and D'Brick might make a few Pro Bowls in his lifetime.
NFL players average 4 or 5 year careers. Into the 3rd season we're seeing about what we're going to see as far as player development. I wish these guys were better players but they probably won't be. The only exception might be for a QB. So maybe Clemens can still turn it around. But for the others I'd say the writing is on the wall. Brad Smith is never going to be a great receiver. Coleman was burnt like toast the last game. Why do you think Poteat was signed this week ? And DBrick will likely be good but not great. Orlando Pace, Walter Jones, those guys were fantastic from day one. Ferguson is just not in their league.
