FanPost

Who Would You Have Picked In The Draft?

Hey everyone I know the draft ended quite a while ago but I still try to analyze it even today. The question I’m wondering is if you were the Jets GM, what would the draft look like? Here is who the Jets would have right now if I were the GM:

1st Round Pick 9: Chance Warmack-OG-Alabama (Actual Pick-Dee Milliner)

I have nothing against Dee Milliner as I think he is a fantastic player but I just didn’t see a need at corner for the Jets. Cromartie showed what he was capable of doing when Revis went down and Wilson held his own as well. Behind them are some solid corners like Darrin Walls, Isaiah Trufant, Ellis Lankster and Aaron Berry. That’s why I thought trading Revis was somewhat understandable because the Jets already had some good corners. Warmack would have helped replace the guards that the Jets lost in the offseason and would instantly make the o-line look a lot better when he’s placed between D’Brickshaw and Mangold.

Round 1 Pick 13- Star Lotulelei-DT-Utah (Actual Pick-Sheldon Richardson)

The Jets get fortunate and pick up a player who can make the D-Line even stronger. Lotulelei was mocked in the top 5 earlier in the draft process but fell back after there were severe concerns about his heart (which appear to not be as serious as first thought). Richardson would have been my second choice for the pick but I like Lotulelei just a little bit more because of his ability to stop the run and we all know that the Jets could use a player like that right now.

Round 2 Pick 39- Geno Smith-QB-West Virginia (Actual Pick-Geno Smith)

I absolutely love this pick for the Jets. I believe he has the tools to become a franchise QB. He has a strong arm, accuracy, intelligence, athleticism, etc. The brilliant part about this is that if Geno does not become the QB we were hoping him to be, it won’t have a major impact on the team going forward. The Jets can just do what Carolina did a few years ago when they drafted Jimmy Clausen in the second round. They quickly realized that Clausen wasn’t franchise QB material and drafted Cam Newton the next year. Hopefully Geno gets a lot of playing time this season so that the team can decide what to in next year’s draft.

Round 3 Pick 72- Stedman Bailey-WR-West Virginia (Actual Pick-Brian Winters)

The Jets failed to address the WR position this offseason which concerns me. I seriously doubt Holmes can stay healthy this year and Hill hasn’t had the greatest health to start his career either. Winters wouldn’t be the greatest use of a pick here because of the Warmack selection. One of the obvious reasons why I think this would have been a good pick is because Bailey was teammates with Geno at West Virginia. In his final season as a Mountaineer, Bailey had 114 receptions for 1622 yards and 25 TDs (better stats than Tavon Austin). I think Bailey is a very versatile receiver with great speed and route running. Bailey left West Virginia as the school’s leader in receiving touchdowns so I believe with his tools and his competitiveness to get the ball he will become a legitimate red zone threat.

Round 5 Pick 141- Josh Evans-S-Florida (Actual Pick-Oday Aboushi)

Josh Evans had a great career at Florida and was maybe overshadowed by his colleague Matt Elam who went in the first round to the Ravens. Evans provides size with his 6-1 frame and uses it to deliver bone crushing hits. When I watch him play he reminds me of Laron Landry because it always looks like he is putting everything he can into a play. I imagine Evans could be a good special teams player right now but he could come in to compete for the starting role with the Jets other late round picks: Josh Bush and Antonio Allen. At the very least he would provide depth at a position that could really use it.

Round 6 Pick 178-Michael Mauti-ILB-Penn State (Actual Pick-William Campbell)

There are two main reasons for this pick. The first is the leadership that Mauti brings. I remember watching the first Penn State game since the Sandusky incident and I saw Mauti deliver a huge speech in the middle of the game when the team was struggling. I’m sure the Jets could use a guy like him and if he stays healthy he should be able to contribute. Mauti would’ve been picked way higher if it weren’t for his troubling injury history but in round 6 I think it’s worth a gamble. The second reason behind this pick is the depth Mauti would bring. I’m not sure what other people think of Nick Bellore but I don’t see why he should be on the team. He provided a Tim Tebow highlight but that’s about it. Then there’s Josh Mauga who had a season ending injury last year so who knows if he’ll return 100%.

Round 7 Pick 215-Zac Dysert-QB-Miami Ohio (Actual Pick-Tommy Bohanon)

I’m not the biggest Zac Dysert fan but I think the seventh round is great value for a QB who has traits like size, arm strength and mobility. Dysert played on a terrible offense so it’s hard to tell what he could have done if he was given better players to work with. Dysert would have provided much better competition for Greg McElroy than Matt Simms will and if Dysert loses the third string role than the Jets can try to develop him on the practice squad. My belief is that the seventh round is the place to try and catch lightning in a bottle. You never know, Dysert could end up being more valuable than your average seventh round draft pick.

Overall I liked what the Jets did with this draft but like any fan we all have our favorites. This is my first fanpost so if you think this post was brutal then don’t be too harsh!

This is a FanPost written by a registered member of this site. The views expressed here are those of the author alone and not those of anybody affiliated with Gang Green Nation or SB Nation.