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Who to Take?
Saturday, April 26, 2008
2:56:00 PM EDT
I am going to attempt to blog at least part of this afternoon's Draft. The Jets sit picking at 6th in the first round. Their selection will probably be in at 4:00 PM. Jake Long is going to Miami. That is a done deal. The following is a list of potential picks listed by my preference.
1. Darren McFadden: McFadden is the best player in the Draft. He would give the Jets a gamebreaking offensive player for the first time in what seems like forever. He has blazing speed, good pass catching skills, and the tools to work well in any number of gadget plays which Brian Schottenheimer can draw up. There are two knocks on him. The first is that he does not break tackles well. That is just silly. Nobody can dominate a conference as good as the SEC without the ability to be physical and get tough yards. The second knock on him is character. He has had multiple children out of wedlock and been in a few barroom scuffles. Having children out of wedlock is not a character issue. Even if it is, it certainly is not one that has any effect on Sunday. Shannon Sharpe is arguably the greatest tight end in history and had four kids with four different women. He was not married to any of them. The conflicts at bars led to zero criminal investigations, which means they might have just been a bit overblown. McFadden is a special player. With any luck, he will fall to 6.
2. Chris Long: Long is the son of Hall of Famer and FOX analyst Howie Long. He established himself as one of college football's best pass rushers and has experience in the 3-4. While Long might have played end in college, his best position in an NFL 3-4 is outside linebacker. His blend of athleticism, technique, and arsenal of moves would make him a top flight pass rusher. Ends in the 3-4 typically are there to hold the point of attack and tie up blockers. They rarely change games. To maximize his impact, Long needs to play a position where his job will be to get to the quarterback. He is the best pass rushing prospect in the Draft. If the Jets pick him, they will waste him if he plays end.
3. Vernon Gholston: Gholston appears to be the most likely pick at this point. He would not be a bad consolation prize at all. His blend of size, speed, and athleticism make him a prototypical 3-4 outside linebacker. Based on his physical stature and college production, he has drawn comparisons to Shawne Merriman. He registered the only sack against Jake Long last season. Gholston should have a long career leaving defensive coordinators up at night.
4. Matt Ryan: I think it is premature to give up on Kellen Clemens. He has all of the physical tools to succeed. He also showed flashes in his first NFL action last season. Kellen excelled in pressure situations, which is a good indicator of future success for a young quarterback still learning the ropes in the NFL. If Ryan is on the board and the other three are off, the Jets still have to think about taking him. Ryan has all of Chad Pennington's positive attributes. He is tough, smart, and a great leader. He also is a high character guy. Notwithstanding a stretch at the end of last season when he tried to do too much, Ryan protected the football well. He was named the conference's best offensive player twice in two different schemes directed by offensive coordinators with pro experience. Matt also ran two minute drills with no help from his coaching staff. The first time he won the award, he played half the season on a broken ankle. Unlike Pennington, he has the physical tools (a big arm). Kellen Clemens still could turn out to be excellent, but it is better to have two good quarterbacks than none. Ryan is a really good bet to succeed. There has to be some concern about a situation similar to Jacksonville's developing, an inferior quarterback ending up starting for years because he went higher in the Draft, but Ryan is the best bet to be a franchise quarterback in the Draft.
5. Leodis McKelvin: This would be the pick of need. McKelvin is the best cornerback available. The Jets need somebody to line up opposite Darrelle Revis. McKelvin has terrific cover skills and athleticism. He played at a small school against weak competition, but Troy has produced standouts like Osi Umenyiora and DeMarcus Ware. McKelvin is also an explosive return man who could add to an already stellar special teams corps. Having the top corner in the 2007 Draft class start next to the top guy in the 2008 class would give the Jets a top flight pass defense for years to come.
In just about an hour, one of these guys should be a Jet. Fans should be thrilled to have any of them.
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2:56:00 PM EDT
Who to Take?
1. Darren McFadden: McFadden is the best player in the Draft. He would give the Jets a gamebreaking offensive player for the first time in what seems like forever. He has blazing speed, good pass catching skills, and the tools to work well in any number of gadget plays which Brian Schottenheimer can draw up. There are two knocks on him. The first is that he does not break tackles well. That is just silly. Nobody can dominate a conference as good as the SEC without the ability to be physical and get tough yards. The second knock on him is character. He has had multiple children out of wedlock and been in a few barroom scuffles. Having children out of wedlock is not a character issue. Even if it is, it certainly is not one that has any effect on Sunday. Shannon Sharpe is arguably the greatest tight end in history and had four kids with four different women. He was not married to any of them. The conflicts at bars led to zero criminal investigations, which means they might have just been a bit overblown. McFadden is a special player. With any luck, he will fall to 6.
2. Chris Long: Long is the son of Hall of Famer and FOX analyst Howie Long. He established himself as one of college football's best pass rushers and has experience in the 3-4. While Long might have played end in college, his best position in an NFL 3-4 is outside linebacker. His blend of athleticism, technique, and arsenal of moves would make him a top flight pass rusher. Ends in the 3-4 typically are there to hold the point of attack and tie up blockers. They rarely change games. To maximize his impact, Long needs to play a position where his job will be to get to the quarterback. He is the best pass rushing prospect in the Draft. If the Jets pick him, they will waste him if he plays end.
3. Vernon Gholston: Gholston appears to be the most likely pick at this point. He would not be a bad consolation prize at all. His blend of size, speed, and athleticism make him a prototypical 3-4 outside linebacker. Based on his physical stature and college production, he has drawn comparisons to Shawne Merriman. He registered the only sack against Jake Long last season. Gholston should have a long career leaving defensive coordinators up at night.
4. Matt Ryan: I think it is premature to give up on Kellen Clemens. He has all of the physical tools to succeed. He also showed flashes in his first NFL action last season. Kellen excelled in pressure situations, which is a good indicator of future success for a young quarterback still learning the ropes in the NFL. If Ryan is on the board and the other three are off, the Jets still have to think about taking him. Ryan has all of Chad Pennington's positive attributes. He is tough, smart, and a great leader. He also is a high character guy. Notwithstanding a stretch at the end of last season when he tried to do too much, Ryan protected the football well. He was named the conference's best offensive player twice in two different schemes directed by offensive coordinators with pro experience. Matt also ran two minute drills with no help from his coaching staff. The first time he won the award, he played half the season on a broken ankle. Unlike Pennington, he has the physical tools (a big arm). Kellen Clemens still could turn out to be excellent, but it is better to have two good quarterbacks than none. Ryan is a really good bet to succeed. There has to be some concern about a situation similar to Jacksonville's developing, an inferior quarterback ending up starting for years because he went higher in the Draft, but Ryan is the best bet to be a franchise quarterback in the Draft.
5. Leodis McKelvin: This would be the pick of need. McKelvin is the best cornerback available. The Jets need somebody to line up opposite Darrelle Revis. McKelvin has terrific cover skills and athleticism. He played at a small school against weak competition, but Troy has produced standouts like Osi Umenyiora and DeMarcus Ware. McKelvin is also an explosive return man who could add to an already stellar special teams corps. Having the top corner in the 2007 Draft class start next to the top guy in the 2008 class would give the Jets a top flight pass defense for years to come.
In just about an hour, one of these guys should be a Jet. Fans should be thrilled to have any of them.
Written by georgecoztanza Blog about this entry |
Add to del.icio.us | digg this
