The number of first round draft picks from the 2016 NFL draft that remain unsigned is slowly dwindling. There are now just five first round selections that have yet to sign on the dotted line. As is common, the top of the draft is still holding out, with #3 pick Joey Bosa of the Chargers remaining unsigned. After Bosa the next 16 selections all have signed. Then we come to pick #20, the Jets' Darron Lee, who remains unsigned, as does the next selection, #21 Will Fuller of the Houston Texans. #22 through #26 are all under contract, and then #27, Kenny Clark of the Packers, and #28, Joshua Garnett of the 49ers, round out the first round selections that remained unsigned.
With the Jets full slate of OTAs having now been completed, and Darron Lee having attended throughout, the failure to get Lee formally under contract is not currently much of an issue. With training camp still six weeks away and a whole lot of nothing going on until then there also does not appear to be a lot of urgency to getting Lee under contract in the coming weeks. It would however be nice to have all the Jets' picks signed.
At this point it is probably meaningless, but perhaps it bears mentioning that Muhammad Wilkerson, along with the Bronco's Von Miller, is also one of the few successful members of the class of 2011 that have yet to obtain a long term deal, and Ryan Fitzpatrick is pretty much the only starting quarterback that has been left to twist in the wind in recent memory. A pattern? Too soon to say, but it perhaps bears watching. Whether the seeming determination of the Jets' front office to draw lines in the sand with some of their best players and draft picks, if said determination even exists, is a good sign of fiscal discipline or a bad sign of being penny wise and pound foolish is an interesting question. What do you think?