We now know the surprising starting receiver candidate Rex Ryan talked about a few weeks ago. It turns out that nobody's changing positions. The player is Britt Davis, an undrafted rookie from Northern Illinois.
Undrafted free agent rookie Britt Davis has caught the eye of the organization, according to a person familiar with the team's thinking. The club has been privately raving about Davis' potential and believes he could be a pleasant surprise this season, according to the person.
The 6-3, 205-pounder from Northern Illinois has rocketed up the depth chart and looked impressive with the second-team unit. Mark Sanchez repeatedly targeted Davis in Wednesday's 11-on-11 drills.
Davis is one of the few tall receivers in the mix for the Jets.
"You say he's flying under the radar because he's not going with the 1s or doing what Jerricho (Cotchery) or (Chansi) Stuckey is doing," quarterback Erik Ainge said. "But he gets talked about a lot in meetings. He just keeps showing up. From the day he got here, he's shown flashes and made plays."
Davis set a Northern Illinois freshman record with 42 receptions for 441 yards before earning all-conference honors as a sophomore. Hampered by an injured right shoulder that required surgery before his senior year, Davis struggled in his final two seasons.
The first thing I take away is Ainge's quote. It sounds like Chansi Stuckey is in the lead for the starting job if he's working with the first team.
Britt's alma mater, Northern Illinois, produced San Diego's first round pick, Larry English and Bears running back Garrett Wolfe. We'll see whether Davis can stick and make an impact. I know a lot of people who liked Shonn Greene but were upset the Jets gave up almost their entire second day worth of picks to move up for him. If the Jets hit a couple of homers on guys like Davis and Jamaal Westerman, it gets a lot tougher to complain about that trade. The Draft is about adding players. The Jets just did their second day shopping on free agents.