Alternate 2018 Jets Draft

Since 2015 I have been posting my picks that I made right alongside the Jets picks. There were a lot of times where I saw eye to eye with our GM, other times I went in a completely different direction. This draft was no different.

First Round: Pick #3

My Pick: Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA

Jets Pick: Sam Darnold, QB, USC

Well we finally know who our franchise QB will be for the next 3 to 20 years. It’s been a long road leading up to this point, but we have arrived. Out of the top 3 QB’s, I had them ranked Mayfield, Rosen and then Darnold. We get the QB with one of the highest upsides in the draft, but he also has the most to work on. Barring injury, I believed Rosen was the most ready to play right away, doesn’t have the same mechanic problems, and isn’t too far behind in ceiling. I am not upset with the pick of Darnold, I just think we could have gone a safer rout and be as well off.

Third Round: Pick #72

My Pick: Orlando Brown, T, Oklahoma State

Jets Pick: Nathan Shepherd, DI, Fort Hays St.

Sometimes I really hate the combine. It has the power to drop a talent like Brown’s this far or further. Despite the miserable numbers he put up at the Combine, he is still my top tackle in the class. With that said, I really like the Shepherd pick. His age worries me (24) but he was a beast for Fort Hays. If teams weren’t double teaming him, he made them pay. I first watched this kid about a week or so before the draft. I was impressed right away. People look at his size and think NT, but I have him as more of a 3-4 DE in our base. In the end, I believe the future of our o-line is a bigger priority, and the value for Brown is amazing here.

Forth Round: Pick #107

My Pick: Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, Edge Oklahoma

Jets Pick: Chris Herndon, TE, Miami

I had a 3rd round grade on Okoronkwo. Ogbonnia is a little undersized at 6’1”, but has great arm length, and gets natural leverage. He doesn’t just win with speed, he can be deadly with inside counter. He is even a decent cog against the run. I liked Herndon a lot. I just think he was over drafted by a round. Herndon is a well rounded TE that is still a little raw. I like him as a developmental prospect, but not enough to pass on this value at a much bigger position of need.

Sixth Round: Pick #179

My Pick: Quenton Meeks, CB, Stanford

Jets Pick: Parry Nickerson, CB, Tulane

Hmm, well this is fun. I made the 179th pick and the 180th pick at the same time. In my second pick, I doubled up on CB and took Parry Nickerson. I’ll just talk about Meeks here instead of why I would pick him over Nickerson. Meeks has been a solid 3 year starter, and has gotten better with each year. Meeks has good size at 6’2”, and is the son of a coach. I love players that come from a coaching family. I feel like they have a leg up in preparation and in discipline. He is very well rounded, and shows great form tackling. Meeks went all of 2017 without a single penalty. Outside of Claiborne and Johnson, our depth on the outside is not where it needs to be. Skrine has no business playing outside.

Sixth Round: Pick #180

My Pick: Parry Nickerson, CB, Tulane

Jets Pick: Folorunso Fatukasi, DT, UConn

I felt like doubling up on CB would be a good idea, especially with the value available. Parry Nickerson was a CB that I was introduced to a few weeks ago. I fell in love with this guy right away. You can’t watch his tape an not be impressed. Parry is lightning fast, and has some of the best combination of hip movement, ball skills and instincts. Nickerson can play inside or outside even though he is only 5’10”. His best fit is probably inside though. I can see Parry taking over for Buster once his contract is up. I like Fatukasi as well though. Not as much as Parry, but he will be a nice rotational guy in our front line. Nickerson should be starting by next year.

Sixth Round: Pick #204

My Pick: Austin Golson, T/G/C, Auburn

Jets Pick: Trenton Cannon, RB, Virginia St.

I am going to admit this right off the bat and say that I didn’t know much about Cannon at the time of the pick. What I did know is that our O-line needs a giant overhaul. I took Orlando Brown earlier to fill our eventual tackle need after this year. Now it is time to replace our guards. Neither Winters nor Carp are very good in zone blocking schemes. It seems more and more like that is where we are headed. Carp is a free agent after this year, and Winters had 1 above average year in a power man blocking scheme. Unless he proves he can be a reliable starter this year, he should be gone as well. Golson is a very versatile player. He can play every position along the line, but I think his best fit is at guard or center. Golson would be some nice depth this year, and possibly compete for a starting spot next year.

Update: We got Golson anyway as an UDFA.