New York Jets in prime position to capitalize on Draft

Guest Piece by Tyson Rauch of TheJetsSetter.com, Let’s Talk Jets Radio.

With the 2014 NFL Draft less than two weeks away, the anticipation throughout Jets Nation is starting to hit intense levels. Some of this buildup can be attributed to the extra couple of weeks football fans have to wait, thanks to a ridiculous decision made by the National Football League to move the draft back into the month of May. The bulk of the excitement is based on the fact that the New York Jets will be entering the draft with 12 selections.

Armed with 12 picks, the Jets have the ability to restock their roster with young talent, along with the flexibility to move up or down in the draft as the organization sees fit. Gang Green finally has the resources to add the dynamic players and overall depth that their roster desperately needs. Now it is up to GM John Idzik and the remainder of the Jets front office to maximize this opportunity come draft day.

Let the speculation begin

Heading into the off-season, many experts believed that the New York Jets would undoubtedly select a wide receiver in the first round of the draft.  The logic was easy to follow: the Jets have a need to add playmakers on offense and this draft class offers several explosive pass catchers.

Following the signing of wide receiver Eric Decker, the opinions started to change as the tight end position started to gain more of the spotlight. Now with the draft less than two weeks away, defensive backs are starting to gain some momentum.

So which position will the Jets address in the first round?

At this point, it is anyone’s guess which direction New York will go in the first round..and that is a good thing. The Jets have had a productive off-season signing some key free agents (Decker, Patterson, Johnson, Vick, Giacomini) while re-signing several valuable players (Cumberland, Pace, Colon, Walls, Douzable). These moves, along with having 12 draft picks, have given the Jets the luxury of choosing the best available player in the first round.

John Idzik and his staff can stay true to their draft board without feeling the pressure of a “must have” player. If a defensive back is the highest ranked player at #18, then he is selected. An outside linebacker? Draft him. A highly regarded safety falls into the Jets hands? Bring him to Florham Park. No matter which direction the Jets go, another quality piece to the puzzle will be added. At the end of the day that is all that matters. Acquire as much talent as possible. The same approach will be taken for the remainder of the draft as well.

What if the Jets are not able to address all of their “need positions”?  Well Gang Green has almost $24 million dollars in cap space to continue to explore free agency with. Lets not forget that there are also the June 1st cuts, which could add some talented players to the free agent market.

The New York Jets are sitting in a pretty good spot right now as the organization has significant resources and options to upgrade their roster.  It is going to be exciting to watch how it all plays out on draft weekend.  Keep the faith Jets fans—there is a method behind all of this madness.