Jets Draft Visits Might Not Be an Indicator of Selections

Over the next few weeks, we will hear a lot about which players the Jets are bringing to Florham Park for predraft visits. Every team is allowed to bring 30 prospects who do not have local ties to their facilities. It is a sign of serious interest. It seems unlikely a team would waste a visit on a player in whom they do not have interest.

Whether it is a sign the Jets will draft a player is another story.

We only have one year to track Mike Maccagnan's tendencies, but we can piece together visits from a year ago off various lists. Leonard WIlliams and Bryce Petty were the only players the Jets drafted who also were brought in for reported predraft visits.

Is this common? Not necessarily when we compare it with the two year run of John Idzik. Two years ago, the top three Jets picks, Calvin Pryor, Jace Amaro, and Dexter McDougle all came to Florham Park for predraft visits. David Wyatt took a look at the 2013 class two years ago and found that five of the seven players drafted by Idzik also visited.

What is particularly notable is six of the seven players Idzik drafted in the first three rounds came for a predraft visit. If John Idzik was going to pick a player early, odds are that player had a predraft visit with the Jets. Williams was the only Jets pick in the top three rounds Maccagnan had visit.

Is this the sign of a trend? It is impossible to say. It is only one year. Last year, the Jets had eight of the eventual top ten picks visit. When they were picking at the top of the first round, they had a much better idea of whom would be on the board than they will picking at 20 this year. It was easier to pick out their targets.

The point here is that it is easy to get carried away thinking that because a player comes for a visit, the Jets will pick that player. That might not be the case.