The second draft under general manager Mike Maccagnan and head coach Todd Bowles has come to a close. And in this second draft class under the two, the New York Jets selected an array of positions on the offensive and defensive side of the ball. Let’s take a look at who the Jets drafted:
1st round (Pick No. 20)- Darron Lee, OLB, Ohio State
2nd round (Pick No. 51)- Christian Hackenberg, QB, Penn State
3rd round (Pick No. 83)- Jordan Jenkins, OLB, Georgia
4th round (Pick No. 118)- Juston Burris, CB, North Carolina State
5th round (Pick No. 158)- Brandon Shell, OT, South Carolina
7th round (Pick No. 235)- Loc Edwards, P, Sam Houston State
7th round (Pick No. 241)- Charone Peake, WR, Clemson
New York Jets 2016 Draft Grade: 7.9/10
New York Jets 2016 Draft Review
The Best Player: New York is looking to fill their two outside linebacker positions as Calvin Pace is 35 years old and former first-round pick Quinton Coples was cut. Now insert this year’s third-round pick, Jordan Jenkins.
The pick of Jenkins was a solid pick, considering where they got him at. While at Georgia, Jenkins wasn’t a sack machine (as he only tallied 19 sacks in four seasons). However unlike the Jets’ first-round pick, outside linebacker Darron Lee, Jenkins is a three-down linebacker. He is able to set the edge and is able to handle tight ends at the point of attack. Jenkins was also consistent during his time in Athens. He averaged at least eight tackles for loss and four sacks in each of his four seasons at Georgia.
Looking at Jenkins, he is basically a younger version of the man he will be asked to replace, Calvin Pace. For a third-round pick, this isn’t bad at all considering Pace’s career, and every defense needs a blue collar defender.
The Head-Scratcher: Considering who was still on the board at the 20th pick (Myles Jack, Reggie Ragland and Paxton Lynch just to name a few names), when New York selected Darron Lee with its first-round pick it was a mild head-scratcher.
Looking at the Jets’ defensive scheme, Lee doesn’t seem like a great fit. He stands at 6-foot-1 and weighs near 230 pounds. So he is pretty small for a 3-4 linebacker. However, Lee makes up for his small height with blazing speed (he ran a 4.7 40-yard dash at the combine).
Now the reason why Lee is only a mild head-scratcher is because Jack’s knee scared the Jets away, New York saw Lynch as a major project, and Ragland is more of a two-down linebacker while they need a three-down linebacker.
The Surprise: Multiple scouts believed that after Jared Goff and Carson Wentz, the third and fourth quarterbacks taken would be Paxton Lynch and Connor Cook. Lynch was the third quarterback taken in this year’s draft, however, the Jets made Christian Hackenberg the fourth quarterback taken, ahead of the likes of Connor Cook and Cardale Jones. That selection was certainly surprising, but the Jets must have been intrigued by Hackenberg’s stellar freshman year in college.
The Steal: Charone Peake can be a huge steal, if he stays healthy. Some “draft experts” saw Peake as a third-round talent, but he slipped all the way to the seventh-round due to two knee injuries in college. But he did show teams what he can do with a full season of play, as he stayed healthy all year last year and recorded 50 catches for 716 yards and five touchdowns. Furthermore, at his pro day, he tallied a 4.37 40-yard dash. If he can stay healthy, the Jets will have a seventh-round gem on their hands.
Most Likely to Turn Heads in Training Camp: Will the real Christian Hackenberg please stand up? Hackenberg will be one of the biggest off-season storylines because people will be wondering which Hackenberg the Jets drafted. The prototypical NFL quarterback had his best season in college under former Penn State and current Houston Texan coach Bill O’Brien. He threw for almost 3,000 yards and 20 touchdowns with a QBR of 134. Hackenberg looked like a potential number one pick. However, after O’Brien left, Hackenberg’s production began to decline. His accuracy decreased from 58.9 percent to 55.7 percent to 53.4 percent. His QBR also declined as well to 109.4 during his sophomore year and 123.9 his junior year. But a change of scenery may help and bring out the Hackenberg that looked like a potential number one overall pick. And remember, Jets offensive coordinator Chan Gailey has done wonders with average quarterbacks (i.e. Ryan Fitzpatrick).
The Rest: Juston Burris adds some cornerback depth, which the Jets needed. Darrelle Revis is turning 31 years old, Antonio Cromartie is gone, and former first-round pick Dee Milliner is looking like a bust. Burris played a man-to-man scheme at North Carolina State, so he should transition well into New York’s man-heavy scheme.
Brandon Shell started 47 games in the SEC, which is a plus. He looks to be a good back-up plan if Ryan Clady’s injury woes continue.
The Jets needed a punter, as former starter Ryan Quigley left for the Philadelphia. Loc Edwards should be the favorite to replace Quigley. In three collegiate seasons, he averaged 42.8 yards on 185 punts and put 45 of them inside the 20.
The Bottom Line: The first two rounds made Jet fans scratch their heads, considering which prospects were still on the board at that time. But after New York’s first two picks, they selected quality players who could end up being serviceable starters or high quality back-ups. This draft may not have made the Jets locks for the 2016-17 NFL playoffs, but it should help them once again contend for a playoff spot. This New York draft class may become great or even phenomenal depending on how well Hackenberg pans out for them. Maccagnan and Bowles should feel pleased with this draft.
Main Photo:
