2013 NFL Draft: Day Two in the Books

The second day of the NFL Draft has ended. Three rounds are down, four to go tomorrow. The Jets have three picks left after a productive day.

Perfect spot for Geno:

The Jets played their cards perfectly when it came to Geno Smith. They correctly estimated they could get the quarterback without having to trade up. Getting him at 39 was perfect. You get all the upside with minimal risk. A second round pick is not a huge investment in a quarterback at all. The contract is low, and expectations are tempered a bit. They now inject a desperately needed infusion of talent at the most important position on the field. If Geno doesn't look like the real deal this year, the Jets can easily grab a new quarterback early next year. Taking a quarterback will always be an inexact science, but the only way you can have a Russell Wilson or Colin Kaepernick who can take your team to the next level is to invest in a quarterback.

Filling holes with upside:

So let me get this straight. You can take players who both have good upside and can improve weak points on your team? A day after the Jets seemed to indicate this was not the case, Gang Green did nice work adding three players who can make the moribund offense into a functional unit in Geno Smith, Brian Winters, and Chris Ivory. All three are likely to slide into starting roles where the Jets could have expected bottom tier production. If the Jets hadn't been busy making luxury picks on Thursday, the roster would look even better.

Room for optimism:

For the first time, there is actually legitimate hope the 2013 Jets might not be a bottom feeder. Make no mistake. The Jets have only come a small part of the way. There are still too many glaring holes on the roster. There is now at least a plausible path to respectability if nothing else. Maybe Rex Ryan gets the defense to overachieve a bit. Maybe Geno Smith plays beyond his years and gives the Jets quality quarterback play. Maybe Chris Ivory allows the Jets to control the ball on the ground and shorten games and they catch a few breaks in close games. There finally is reason for hope.

Still a need for playmakers:

The Jets still need to figure out how to give Geno Smith more playmakers. They need to find a way to get him at least one weapon tomorrow. Some quality players have dropped. I wish they had played their cards better. If they had only taken Chance Warmack at 9, Brian Winters wouldn't be necessary. The Jets could have grabbed a playmaker in the third round. If only Chris Ivory had gone for a fifth, they could grab a guy who dropped.

Conclusion:

My last point aside, I was very pleased with the day the Jets had. They seemed to find a good balance between filling holes and finding value. Here's hoping for a strong third day.