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2009
NFL Draft Needs - New York Jets
by Gregory Cox
Senior Writer
4/22/09
Picks (6): 17, 52, 76, 115, 193, 228
Tight End – Dustin Keller lived up to expectations in his rookie
season as a first round pick. He is a great option in the passing game
and learning the ropes as a blocker. The new regime is going to utilize
multiple tight end sets and emphasize blocking. Even if Keller could be
cloned it would not solve their problem after parting ways with Chris
Baker and Bubba Franks. They need a second tight end with an eye on
blocking.
Running Back – Recent history has illustrated it is better to
draft a player than to deal with the salary of a veteran. When a kid
who is 22 years old can produce at a fraction of the cost it is easy to
see why this strategy is employed. Now consider the situations of
primary rushers Thomas Jones and Leon Washington. Jones is under
contract for two more years, which is halfway through the four year
deal he signed. From his perspective you can see why he wants more
money now rather than at the end of his commitment. Would you want to
be 32 ½ years old and clearly in decline when asking for cash?
He wants to be paid at a premium like he is in his prime. His past four
seasons (two of those with the Bears) have proven him to be extremely
durable and productive. You just don’t see many guys averaging 302
carries and 1,244 yards these days. Jones was a bust as the #7 overall
pick in Arizona and spent an uneventful season in Tampa Bay which makes
this revival unusual. Also of concern is play maker Leon Washington
entering the final year of his contract. They share a position, but not
much else. Washington is a jack of all trades. He caught 47 passes last
season, has a career 4.9 average rush in relief over 298 attempts, and
is a top shelf return threat for punts and kickoffs. Of 90 total
returns in 2008 Washington was responsible for 77 including all punts.
He is younger, but while he might be willing to carry a bigger load his
size precludes him from being the featured back. All of this leads us
to their draft. If a lead rusher is available to provide leverage and
get Thomas Jones back in line the Jets will take that player. If Jones
wants to play ball he’s obviously talented enough to perform this
season and likely 2010 as well, but giving in to his demands is a bad
idea.
Quarterback – Will they or won’t they? Rex Ryan comes over from
a team that won a Super Bowl with Trent Dilfer and came to the brink of
the big game on the arm of a rookie who didn’t even pass for 3,000
yards. I’m not sure he’s as anxious as the fan base to make a splashy
move on the heels of Brett Favre’s swan song. Kellen Clemens is the
leading candidate to manage this offense. Brett Ratliff is the wild
card who has created “buzz”. Erik Ainge was taken in the fifth round of
last year’s draft out of Tennessee and has big time collegiate
experience. They will need to give up on one of these players if they
make another move in the draft. I see two draft options – a strong move
early on or none at all. There is also the possibility of a trade which
I’m sure thrills the incumbents.
Wide Receiver – Looking back it was not such a good idea to
trade Santana Moss after the 2004 season to reacquire Laveraneous
Coles. Now Coles has signed with Cincinnati and there is no big play
threat left. On the plus side their offensive philosophy will be
changing under defensive minded head coach Rex Ryan. Part of this is
out of necessity considering their quarterback situation. Jerricho
Cotchery would be a #2 ideally, but in this scheme it might not turn
into a glaring problem. He has been very productive the past three
seasons with 235 receptions for 2,949 yards although his TD total (13)
is low which is what makes him a #2 type. Chansi Stuckey’s career seems
on track after picking up 32 receptions in his second season and
scoring 3 times and will be decent in the slot. Former quarterback Brad
Smith is still hanging in there, which might not be the case if this
team had respectable talent at the position. The flirtation with
restricted free agent Miles Austin (Cowboys) was an indicator of their
serious interest because signing him would have cost them a second
round pick if Dallas did not match. My feeling is that this need is
filled in the draft and probably given less attention than most would
think because the offense will be geared towards running the ball and
utilizing the tight end position in the passing game like Rex Ryan’s
old team (Baltimore) has done. If an addition is made it would be a
player with speed.
Defensive End – In the second half of the season Shaun Ellis
had just one sack after racking up 7 during the first half. He will
turn 32 in June and this might be an indication of an impending
decline. Marques Douglas (Ravens) was added to the position, but he is
not going to generate sacks. Kenyon Coleman is not strong on the other
side either. This problem needs to be addressed with a player capable
of pushing back offensive linemen.
Inside Linebacker – Quantity was replaced by quality when Bart
Scott (Ravens) was signed and Eric Barton (Browns) Brad Kassel
(released) Cody Spencer (Lions) and David Bowens (released) left. The
other addition is Larry Izzo (Patriots) but this is just the latest
barb in a vicious rivalry. Izzo will turn 35 early in the season, and
has been a backup/special teams contributor his entire career. Stealing
him from New England was the motivation of that move. Their depth chart
needs to offset their losses. A change in philosophy from sitting back
and reacting to really attacking means the team probably was fine with
so many departures. They will draft another good fit inside to back up
Bart Scott and David Harris, who is coming back from a broken ankle in
the season finale.
Right Tackle – There is no doubt this offensive line played
better in 2008 and was a big reason the team almost made the playoffs.
If one position stood out as a weakness it would be Damien Woody at
right tackle. In his first season coming over from Detroit he allowed 6
½ sacks, committed 5 penalties, was oft-injured and struggled in
pass protection. Other than that he was great. Because the team
addressed so many defensive issues in free agency they might be able to
sneak in an addition at tackle. For better or worse they cut right
guard Brandon Moore and then signed him to a four year contract. Figure
that one out, especially with him recovering from sports hernia
surgery. Nevertheless, it secured every position to Woody’s left for
now.
Kicker/Punter – Jay Feely is going to have some sort of career
when he is done kicking field goals, but he is on his fourth franchise
and third in the past three seasons. His lone season with the Jets went
well. In fact, his post-Atlanta career has gone well. Looking at the
numbers it is hard to figure out why the Giants moved on after two
seasons of 83.3% and 85.2% conversions. Even more bizarre was the
Dolphins passing after he banged home 21/23 during the team’s dismal
1-15 campaign. This past season he was sharp again at 24/28 so why am I
bringing this up? He is only 70% from 40+ yards (outdoors) during his
career which is troublesome, but 76% (all games) over the past four
seasons. Mike Nugent didn’t make it as a second round pick in 2005 and
he has now latched on with Tampa Bay. Going 3/9 from 50+ yards probably
sealed his fate. Maybe they bring in a strong leg to compete with Feely
on kickoffs. I know they will add another punter because Reggie Hodges
is not going to cut it. This new regime will emphasize battling for
field position and that puts pressure on the punter and kicker. Quality
will be sought.
Michael
Abromowitz's 2009 NFL Mock
Draft - 7 rounds
Gregory Cox's 2009 NFL Mock
Draft - 6 rounds
Jared Donnelly's 2009 NFL Mock Draft
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