--- New York Jets 2014 Draft Thread ---

[J_E_T_S]

If you have any thoughts throughout the day, feel free to post/vent about them here.


All sorts of rumors surrounding the Jets.


The Jets are in a, dare I say, great position. There will be WR's available at their pick....so there is not a NEED to trade. However, if a team is willing to trade back for a bargain, the Jets have a good amount of picks to negotiate with.


I do not know Idzik's track record when it comes to trading up. He was also never the GM, just an assistant....and last year the Jets had 2 top picks to begin the draft with.


1st round draft needs: WR, CB, Pass Rusher.


If the Jets trade into the top 15, and Ebron is still on the board, the TE will be in green and white.

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

Good article for a change from Cimini

Moment of truth for Jets:

NYC...(5/8)....If the extra two weeks of waiting made you anxious, imagine how the New York Jets feel. They've been waiting 16 months.

John Idzik's rebuilding plan, set in motion when he was hired in January 2013, is built largely around the draft -- this draft. He accumulated four compensatory picks and acquired a future pick from the Darrelle Revis trade, giving him a total of 12 selections -- tied with the St. Louis Rams for the most. Idzik was relatively conservative in free agency, using only about half the salary-cap space -- a tactic that raises the stakes even higher.

The fun starts Thursday night. The Jets own the 18th pick -- for now. What to watch for:

1. Biggest needs: The Jets need a lot of things, but cornerback should at the top of the list. Their pass defense was dreadful, allowing nearly 4,000 yards, and the only thing they did in free agency was replace a descending Antonio Cromartie with an injury-prone journeyman, Dimitri Patterson. Rex Ryan's defense is predicated on cornerback play, and his current secondary will get shredded against a "Missiles of October" schedule -- Philip Rivers, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady in a 12-day span. Idzik doled out $30 million in guarantees to sign outside free agents, with only $1 million going to the defense. As one longtime personnel executive said, "Feed the defense. The only way the Jets win is if they dominate on defense." Obviously, the other glaring need is wide receiver. If you need an explanation, you must have slept through last season.

2. Moving up: Yes, the Jets are interested in trading up, according to a league source. Presumably, their target is Odell Beckham Jr., a smooth, explosive and versatile wide receiver. If this is the plan, they'd better get ahead of the New York Giants (12), who also covet the former LSU star. Based on the draft value chart, they'd have to surrender a third-round pick and two fourth-rounders to switch places with the Tennessee Titans (11). You'd have to question the wisdom of such a move. It's a deep draft, and they could land a comparable player at 18. The Jets have eight tradable picks (compensatory selections can't be dealt), affording Idzik flexibility if he wants to step out of character and ... you know, be aggressive.

3. Names to watch: Wide receiver Brandin Cooks is a popular mock-draft choice for the Jets. Good prospect, solid character, but some scouts wonder if he can be more than a slot receiver because of his size (a shade under 5-foot-10). Wide receiver Marqise Lee also is in the conversation, but this would require a leap of faith, essentially betting he'd be the 2012 version and not the 2013 Lee. The top corners are Darqueze Dennard and Justin Gilbert, although it's quite possible one or both could be gone. Dennard is the better scheme fit, but Gilbert has more upside because of his elite ball skills.

4. Outsider's view: This is how a rival personnel director sees the Jets' situation at 18: "They have two specific team needs -- wide receiver and cornerback. It's a tough decision, but it would be a more difficult decision if there was no value at those position at that point in the first round. But that won't be the case. There will be value at those spots. I also wouldn't dismiss the tight end (Eric Ebron). They're also living with two safeties (Dawan Landry and Antonio Allen) that are borderline starting caliber, so I wouldn't be surprised if they go Ha Ha Clinton-Dix or Calvin Pryor."

5. Perspective, please: As you're watching it unfold, remember this: The Jets aren't a couple of players away, or even one draft away, from being a legitimate championship contender. They finished a soft 8-8, and before you take issue with that description, consider this: They were outscored by 97 points, the largest negative point differential for a .500 or better team since the merger in 1970. This draft is just another step in the process, albeit a big step.

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

Beckham Jr (12th), Ebron (10th) and Gilbert (8th) are gone......oh well

 

[J_E_T_S]

out of work, dennard looks to fall to the jets, same with haHA........annnnnnnnnd JOHNNY

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

We're on the clock.....

 

[J_E_T_S]

omgomgomgomgomg make it a goo one!!!!

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

I'd be cool w/ HaHa C-D...Dennard too.

 

[J_E_T_S]

i want cooks or a trade back.

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

Meh...I think Pryor is too small ( 5'11")...but hope he pans out.
I would have gone w/ HaHa (6' 2")

 

[J_E_T_S]

safe pick, nothing flashy but safety was a need. There are WR's on round 2.....and probably no safeties. Def. could have done worse.

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

Calvin Pryor, Jets - ESPN

Jets Draft Louisville Safety Calvin Pryor - ESPN Video - ESPN

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

From ESPN-NY

The New York Jets made a good call by addressing the secondary with the 18th pick instead of reaching for a wide receiver, but you have to wonder if Pryor is the right guy for the Jets' scheme. They need a cover safety and a ballhawk who can play the deep middle. Pryor is better close to the line of scrimmage than in coverage. They opted for him over Alabama's Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, whom scouts believe is a better cover safety. They also passed on Darqueze Dennard, thought to be the best man-to-man corner in the draft. Now they have three strong safeties -- Pryor, Dewan Landry and Antonio Allen -- and no free safety. Landry and Allen didn't make many plays last season, so anything is an upgrade. Pryor will bring a LaRon Landry-type presence to the defense, a physical player with an attitude. As one opposing scout said, "He's a hammer guy, a box-strong safety type." Pryor recorded only seven interceptions and only 14 pass break-ups in three seasons at Louisville. He's vicious tackler, forcing seven fumbles over the past two seasons. He ran 40 in 4.58 seconds at the combine.

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

What's Next: The Jets don't pick again until the second round (49). Their primary needs remain the same: cornerback, wide receiver and tight end. Don't be surprised if they try to trade up in the second round, using their extra choices (seven tradeable picks) as bargaining chips.

 

[J_E_T_S]

They have the ammo to make a move, if the trade up i gotta think Lee is the pick.