The 2015 NFL Draft has come and gone, and it’s time to analyze how all 32 teams did in addressing their most pressing needs. We shift focus to the New York Jets, who start a new era under head coach Todd Bowles and general manager Mike Maccagnan. The defense-first philosophy of the previous regime might still be in place, though, given Bowles’ previous experience as defensive coordinator for the Arizona Cardinals.
The Jets had six selections, each of whom are listed below. You can also check out the scouting report for selected players by clicking on the links.
First round (sixth overall): Leonard Williams, defensive end, Southern California
Second round (37th overall): Devin Smith, wide receiver, Ohio State
Third round (82nd overall): Lorenzo Mauldin, outside linebacker, Louisville
Fourth round (103rd overall): Bryce Petty, quarterback, Baylor
Fifth round (152nd overall): Jarvis Harrison, guard, Texas A&M
Seventh round (223rd overall): Deon Simon, defensive tackle, Northwestern State
The Jets’ draft had a little bit of everything and we break it all down below. Who should have the most immediate impact? Was there a pick that left you scratching your head? Is there a potential sleeper amongst the bunch? Who’s going to wow us and make the case for a starting job come Week One? It’s all here.
New York Jets 2015 NFL Draft Review
Best Player Selected
Leonard Williams
This one’s pretty much a no-brainer. Most mocks had Williams going as high as third and even some were as bold to say the Bucs or Titans might fool us all and pick him over Jameis Winston or Marcus Mariota. Instead, he fell to sixth and as a result you could make the case he belongs in the “Steal of the Draft” category in addition to being listed here.
Williams capped off his collegiate career with a dominant junior season for the Trojans where he did just about everything. He finished with 80 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, seven sacks, three forced fumbles and even an interception to boot. The Daytona Beach, FL native was named team MVP and Defensive Player of the Year and also collected all-Pac-12 first team honors.
His presence will certainly add depth to a Jets’ base 3-4 scheme that already includes Sheldon Richardson and Muhammad Wilkerson, who combined for 13.5 sacks last season. Combine that with the fact that the Jets finished 2014 ranked sixth in that category and opposing quarterbacks better beware. In fact, considering the moves their AFC East rivals in Buffalo and Miami (and to a lesser extent New England) made, these teams’ six divisional games have all the makings of smash mouth slugfests this coming season.
Biggest Head-Scratcher
No Running Back
Much like I did in my Buffalo Bills draft review, I’m subscribing to the notion that the Jets lack of addressing a certain position is most puzzling to me. In their case, it’s running back.
The two-headed monster (if you can call it that) of Chris Ivory and Chris Johnson ran for a combined 1,484 yards and the team as a whole was third league-wide in rushing offense (2,280 yards) as they got some added production from Michael Vick and embattled starting quarterback Geno Smith. However, their paltry total of 11 touchdowns on the ground was tied for 17th in the NFL.
This was as deep a draft class at the position in years. Based on how it panned out, they probably could have selected a potential game-changer as late as the fifth round. The problem for the Jets was that those players kept getting picked before they made their selection each round. Tevin Coleman went to Atlanta nine spots ahead of their third round pick, while Jay Ajayi was drafted by Miami a mere three spots ahead of them in the fifth round.
Fact is, their positioning in the mid-to-late rounds didn’t help them here.
Most Surprising Pick
Deon Simon
Simon is a small-school prospect out of Northwestern State that, if anything, is a pure depth need at nose tackle. I don’t see him challenging Damon Harrison for the starting job right off the bat. Harrison, himself out of tiny NAIA school William Penn, was a pretty capable interior run stopper last season. I thought the team would’ve done better to add another wideout in the seventh round. I mean, doesn’t Geno Smith (or whoever starts next year) need all the help he can get at this point?
Steal of the Draft
Bryce Petty
The Jets made a trade with Jacksonville to move up one spot in the fourth round (while sending a seventh round pick to the Jags) to take Petty. He ran a pass-happy, guns blazing offense at Baylor with spectacular success his junior and senior years, leading the Bears to consecutive Big 12 titles (again, we’re talking about Baylor here).
Nevertheless, the “air raid” style spread offense he ran in Waco is not a staple of the NFL by any stretch. Maccagnan listed this as a concern despite the fact that they like what he brings to the table from an overall skill set standpoint. “We do know he’s coming from a system that isn’t quite like an NFL system so we were excited about, kind of, his potential. We understand it might take him some time to achieve that potential but we’re excited about it,” he remarked about what he sees in Petty.
I’m highly sold on Petty’s intangibles. He possesses great leadership skills, is extremely competitive and has a solid work ethic. Those qualities come in handy at the NFL level. Though he will need to become much more accustomed to going through his progressions as a pro than he did in Baylor’s often one-read scheme, the drive appears to be there to make it happen. I think the Jets got a real sleeper here.
Most Likely To Turn Heads in Training Camp
Devin Smith
Smith’s ability as a deep ball threat was on full display during Ohio State’s run to the inaugural College Football Playoff title. In those three important games at the end of the season (Big Ten Championship, Sugar Bowl, CFP Final), Smith caught seven passes, six of which were for 39 or more yards and four of which resulted in touchdowns.
Whether it’s Geno Smith or Ryan Fitzpatrick under center for Gang Green come the season opener (highly unlikely Bryce Petty will be there that early), they certainly have an added passing game dimension in the former Buckeye. He has above average acceleration off the line of scrimmage and the ability to both find space in coverage as well as high point the ball in those 50-50 situations with opposing corners. His primary weakness was in press coverage which he should expect to see a lot of his rookie season.
The Jets’ receiving corps suddenly looks respectable after being among the worst in the league no more than two years ago. Factor in Smith, newly signed Brandon Marshall, Eric Decker and even Jeremy Kerley as a fourth option and things are looking pretty bright. If they can get halfway decent quarterback play, we may be looking at one of the surprise teams in the AFC.
The Rest
Lorenzo Mauldin: Mauldin’s journey from his childhood to being drafted into the NFL is one of the most inspiring stories you’re going to hear. He bounced around 16 foster homes as a child, yet persevered, got a scholarship to play football at Louisville, and is now a college graduate and part of the New York Jets organization. And let’s not forget, he’s a multifaceted linebacker capable of stopping both the run and the pass.
Jarvis Harrison: The Jets offensive line is an aging unit, with four regular starters that will be in their 30s when the season starts. They’ve addressed the need to bring in some youth in recent years by drafting Oday Aboushi and Brian Winters in 2013. Harrison is a continuation of this trend. He has shown the versatility to switch around the offensive line while at Texas A&M. The biggest concern with him is conditioning and weight management, which forced the Aggie coaching staff to bench him at times.
Bottom Line
The Jets made an already stout defensive front all the more impressive, particularly with the additions of Williams and Mauldin. If those two perform at the high end of their potential come 2015, this is going to be an immensely difficult team to move the ball against.
That said, offensive question marks remain. Jets fans should be excited about the rookie wide receiver named Smith. Still, the signal caller with that last name has shown few if any characteristics of a bona fide starter, Fitzpatrick’s a 30-something journeyman who’s not a long-term answer and it’s hard to believe Petty would be ready to take the reins his rookie season.
Overall, especially considering their history in this regard, the Jets did a fairly admirable job of upgrading their roster via the draft.
My Grade: 8.5/10
Check out our other draft reviews here.
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