With the 2015 NFL Draft just a few weeks away, the Last Word On Sports NFL department will be analyzing the top three needs for all 32 teams. The New York Jets are the next team up, looking to regroup after the bottom fell out during their 2014 season.
Gang Green underwent a massive house cleaning in the aftermath of last season’s disappointing 4-12 campaign. Head coach Rex Ryan and general manager John Idzik were given their walking papers. In came Todd Bowles and Mike Maccagnan to fill Ryan’s and Idzik’s positions respectively. Bowles came from the Arizona Cardinals, where he was their defensive coordinator, while Maccagnan was formerly the Houston Texans director of college scouting. Surely his experience will come in handy come late April/early May in Chicago.
There will be a lot of coaches, both hired and fired by the Jets, who will be meeting their former teams next season. Ryan and much of his staff from last year ended up with the Buffalo Bills. New York brought in former Bills head coach Chan Gailey as their new offensive coordinator. Kacy Rodgers came aboard as defensive coordinator after having been the defensive line coach of the Miami Dolphins since 2008.
The Jets were fairly active in free agency and their biggest splash came in the form of Darrelle Revis, who had earned the moniker “Revis Island” on account of his exploits with the team for the first six years of his career. Revis signed a massively front-loaded five-year, $70 million contract that includes $39 million in guaranteed money, most of which is comprised of his entire 2015 and 2016 salary.
They also signed another player who at one point was a mainstay in the Jets secondary in Antonio Cromartie. Cromartie played for the Jets for four seasons starting in 2010 and signed a four-year, $32 million deal with the team after playing for the Cardinals last season.
In addition, wide receiver Brandon Marshall was acquired via trade from the Chicago Bears. Marshall signed a three-year extension with the Bears last year.
Here’s a look at the picks the Jets currently have for the 2015 NFL Draft:
First round (sixth overall)
Second round (37th overall)
Third round (70th overall)
Fourth round (104th overall)
Seventh round (223rd overall)
Seventh round (224th overall) – acquired in the trade with Chicago that sent Marshall to the Jets in exchange for their 2015 fifth round pick.
The Jets also traded their sixth round pick in this year’s draft to the Seattle Seahawks when they acquired Percy Harvin midseason. Harvin has since been released and signed with the Buffalo Bills.
With all this in mind, what are we to expect when the Jets begin making picks come April 30th in Chicago?
New York Jets 2015 NFL Draft: Top 3 Needs
Quarterback
Heading into his third season in the league, to say that Geno Smith is embattled as the Jets starter might not be doing his predicament justice. The watershed moment potentially came in week eight at home against Buffalo when he threw three interceptions on three consecutive drives in the first quarter before being benched in favor of Michael Vick. Ironically enough, he would regain the starting job after Vick’s disastrous performance against those same Bills four weeks later. Vick was sacked five times and threw a pick in the 38-3 blowout.
The closer we get to the draft, the more likely it appears Jameis Winston will go first overall. Whether Tampa Bay makes that pick or someone else moves up in a bombshell draft day trade remains to be seen. What is certain is that the Jets essentially have very little to offer to trade up and if they’re interested in Marcus Mariota, they may have to hope the Tennessee Titans pass at two and he falls four spots.
In the event that doesn’t happen, they may be in a position to take UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley when they pick in the second round. Hundley is consistently rated as the third-best prospect at the position by most draft experts and is looked at as an early second-round pick. He has size and dual-threat versatility that compares well to Colin Kaepernick and Cam Newton. He might be worth a look to spice up the Jets quarterback competition come summer if they can’t get his Pac-12 compatriot in Mariota.
Running Back
The Jets had a fairly effective running back by committee thing going between Chris Ivory and Chris Johnson, who combined for 1,484 yards in 2014. In total, the team ranked third in the league in rushing offense, gaining 2,280 yards on the ground. That said, Johnson is way past his prime and Ivory doesn’t appear to possess big play ability at all. His 4.3 yards per carry average ranked 115th in the league amongst running backs last season.
You’ve probably been told countless times through various forms of media how stacked this draft is at the running back position. Melvin Gordon and Todd Gurley are garnering a great deal of attention but it would be way too much of a reach for the Jets to take either in the first round. I think what helps them is the fact that this position has become so “plug and play” in recent years. Just look at what their AFC East rival and Super Bowl XLIX champion New England did over the course of their title run in that regard.
In my opinion, this draft need is quite fluid in terms of where they could address it. Quarterbacks clearly take preference over running backs in today’s NFL, so if they decide Hundley is an option in the second round they might be in decent shape waiting until later rounds to draft a back. Players such as Nebraska’s Ameer Abdullah, Alabama’s T.J. Yeldon or Michigan State’s Jeremy Langford might be attractive options if they were to pull the trigger in the third round. Indiana’s Tevin Coleman reportedly had an impressive Pro Day this week but might be a reach when they pick in the second round and could be off the board by the third.
Outside Linebacker
Under Ryan, the Jets were always fairly stout defensively and expect to be so under the defensively minded Bowles. Their linebacking corps has demonstrated the ability to cause opposing quarterbacks problems. The quartet of David Harris, Demario Davis, Quinton Coples and Calvin Pace combined for 20.5 sacks in 2014. Still, a certain standout player in college may be too good to pass up when the Jets pick in the first round.
Clemson linebacker Vic Beasley was among the nation’s best at the position. He was named ACC Defensive Player of the Year and finished the season with 12 sacks and 21.5 tackles for loss. His per game average in the latter statistic (1.7) was good enough for third-best nationally. Another ACC linebacker in Florida State’s Dante Fowler Jr. could also be on their radar in the first round if they decide to address this need right off the bat.
Linebacker is another one of those potential instant impact positions in the league. Combined with the moves the Jets made in the secondary via free agency, the Jets could make an already formidable defensive unit that much more frightening if they were to add a breakout rookie at the linebacking position.
Their AFC East counterpart Buffalo, despite missing the playoffs ever so slightly, proved that having an elite defense can mask quarterback uncertainty to a certain extent. Are the Jets poised to replicate that model in 2015?
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