NFL Draft: Jets enter Day Two with many options

After selecting a safety with their first pick – good value in Calvin Pryor, but leaving room for debate – the New York Jets enter Day Two (Rds. 2-3) with several needs. Wide Receiver, Cornerback and Tight End appear to be the three most glaring of those, and luckily for the Jets, the remaining 11 picks continue to leave room for flexibility.

Wide Receiver

Off-the-Board: Sammy Watkins (Bills); Mike Evans (Bucs); Odell Beckham, Jr. (Giants); Brandin Cooks (Saints); Kelvin Benjamin (Panthers)

Best Players Available: Marqise Lee; Allen Robinson; Cody Latimer; Jordan Matthews; Donte Moncrief

Thoughts: The deepest position in the draft leaves room for potential #1 wide receivers to remain into Day Two. Lee is a surprise carry-over, possibly leaving the Jets brass to consider a trade-up. However, if they stay at 17 in Rd 2 (49th overall), there should be at least one of these names still available.

Cornerback

Off-the-Board: Justin Gilbert (Browns); Kyle Fuller (Bears); Darqueze Dennard (Bengals); Jason Verrett (Chargers); Bradley Roby (Broncos)

Best Players Available: Lamarcus Joyner; Stanley Jean-Baptiste; Philip Gaines; Keith McGill; Marcus Robertson

Thoughts: The cornerback class thins out by a good measure now, and the Jets will either have to focus on the position right away via the draft, swing a deal for a veteran, or hope that a quality one ‘falls through the cracks’ after the June 1st cuts. A corner will not often be the best player available any more, so any pick-up is almost only for need. Do you ‘overdraft’ for the glaring hole on your roster, or stick solely to value? That will be John Idzik’s prerogative, going forward.

Tight End

Off-the-Board: Eric Ebron (Lions)

Best Players Available: Jace Amaro; Austin Sefarian-Jenkins; Troy Niklas; C.J. Fiedorowicz, Arthur Lynch

Thoughts: The Jets have a lot of options here with tight end, headlined by Amaro, who many speculated to be a first round selection. Surpassing wide receiver and cornerback for their next selection seems a little hard to swallow, but the comfort level – as least for me – goes up if the Jets work their way to multiple second rounders. However, if it’s Amaro at 17 (49th), the pick-up is too good to pass up.

Side note: The Lions create an interesting dynamic at tight end with Ebron, Brandon Pettigrew and TD-machine Joseph Fauria, currently on the roster. Do the Jets inquire about Pettigrew? 

Other Options

Outside these positions, the Jets could look for the outside line backer that has eluded their grasp.

BYU’s Kyle Van Noy (6’3″, 243 lbs) has been discussed as an option by many fans.

Personally, I’m a fan Florida State’s Telvin Smith (6’3″, 218 lbs) and Georgia Tech’s Jeremiah Attaochu (6’3″, 252 lbs). Smith provides solid coverage skills in addition to pass-rush, but failed a combine drug test, so his stock may have fallen. Attaochu is raw, but his motor never stops running. Like last year’s Ziggy Ansah (Lions), given the right training, he could be very dominant in the NFL.

Regardless of position, OT Cyrus Kouandjio (Alabama) needs refining – and there’s knee concerns – but he is a great value selection in round two. OG Xaiver Su’a-Filo (UCLA) is another lineman with great round two value. The remaining QBs (Carr, Garroppolo, McCarron, etc), and the entire class of running backs, may just tempt Gang Green. We shall see.