New York Jets Third Round Draft Picks of the Last Decade Ranked

After the pain of ranking recent Jets second round Draft picks, let's go experience more pain. It is time to rank third round Jets picks over the last decade.

1. Shonn Greene, 2009 (Last Year: 2)

The Jets gave up an exorbitant price to move up to the first pick of the third round in 2009 and snag Greene. Early on, the move looked like a success. Greene really came on at the end of his rookie season and was one of the major reasons the Jets made the AFC Championship Game. That might have been the peak of his time with the team. He did have a couple of 1,000 yard seasons, but he was not an impact back for them. The price the Jets gave up to get him was not worth it. The fact he tops this list only indicates how dismal the third round has been for the Jets.

2. Demario Davis, 2012 (Last Year: 3)

Davis was a starter for almost three years. During his best stretches, he was functional and unspectacular. He never developed into the cover linebacker the Jets hoped he would. He was not an impact run defender either. Everybody got a fresh start with a new regime a year ago, but Davis did not take advantage. He lost playing time as the season progressed.

3. Eric Smith, 2006 (Last Year: 4)

In the NFL, many players can be successful if put in the right roles. These players will be unsuccessful if not utilized the proper way. Take Smith. When he was a backup who played subpackages and special teams, he was pretty valuable. When the Jets turned him into a full-time safety, the results were ugly. Most people remember the ugly, but Smith's time with the team was better than you think. That doesn't mean he should be the third best third rounder over the last decade, though.

4. Lorenzo Mauldin, 2015 (Last Year: NR)

Mauldin was a part-time player as a rookie, but he looked very good in those limited snaps. His role is set to increase this year. We can only hope he will end up topping this list in the next year or two. It is no great hurdle.

5. Kenrick Ellis (Last Year: 5)

Many viewed Ellis as a first round talent who fell due to character concerns. Ellis did not get into trouble off the field while with the Jets, but he also did not produce much while on the field. Undrafted Damon Harrison blossomed into the player the team was hoping Ellis would become. Kendrick was decent at times as a rotational player, but he never reached his potential. Injuries played a role.

6. Brian Winters (Last Year: 7)

Winters has shown only marginal improvement from the start of his career. He can pull effectively from the guard position. Getting a push when going straight ahead and pass protecting have been problems, though.

7. Dexter McDougle (Last Year: 6)

This pick felt like a major reach to me at the time. Through two years, McDougle has contributed almost nothing to the Jets. Time is running out. He gets a pass for 2014 because he tore his ACL. Want to give him a pass for 2015 because he was recovering, and it was his first year actually playing in the NFL? Fine. McDougle needs to start showing something this year.

8. Anthony Schlegel, 2006 (Last Year: 8)

Back in 2006, the Jets had the fourth pick. Ohio State linebacker A.J. Hawk was considered one of that Draft's top talents. When the team was watching film on Hawk, they noticed Schlegel, his linebacking partner. This led to a third round pick being used on him. Schlegel lasted one year with the Jets. At the time he was drafted, people made a big deal out of the fact he hunted wild boar with a knife. That skill apparently did not help him become a good NFL player. Who could have known?