The Jets have been pointing toward the 2014 NFL Draft for more than a year. Now it’s finally here.
General manager John Idzik comes into the draft armed with 12 picks, giving him flexibility to make trades or add substantially to his roster. It did not happen by accident. Idzik had this year’s draft in mind when he traded Darrelle Revis (the Jets have the Buccaneers’ fourth-round pick) and let free agents walk (gaining four compensatory picks) in 2013.
Now, the question is whether Idzik will hold on to all those picks or use some of them to move up Thursday night to grab a top target. Speculation has swirled in recent days about the Jets trying to trade up to get LSU wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.
NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock said he gets that thinking, but believes the Jets could take Oregon State wide receiver Brandin Cooks with the 18th pick and be just as happy.
“If they love Beckham I understand it, but I think Cooks can be there,” Mayock said. “I think Cooks is in the same category as Beckham. In this particular draft, I’d hate to give up picks to move up.”
The common wisdom from the time the season ended was the Jets would target a wide receiver with their first pick after the team finished 31st in passing offense in 2013 with a sad wide receiving corps. The top two receivers in this draft — Sammy Watkins and Mike Evans — should be long gone by the time the Jets are on the clock. That leaves a group of Beckham, Cooks and USC’s Marqise Lee as possible selections.
Beckham said Wednesday he sat down with offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg during his visit to the Jets and feels he could pick up the team’s offense quickly. He also knows special teams coach Thomas McGaughey, who left LSU in February to join the Jets.
“If that’s where I land, it will be a good fit,” Beckham said.
But wide receiver is not the Jets’ only need and may not even be the team’s greatest need. The Jets also have holes at cornerback, tight end and safety. They are also thin at linebacker (both inside and outside) and along the offensive line.
The Jets released veteran cornerback Antonio Cromartie in March and he is now with the Cardinals. That leaves them with Dee Milliner, Dimitri Patterson and Kyle Wilson as their top corners. It is possible Michigan State’s Darqueze Dennard or Virginia Tech’s Kyle Fuller could fill that need if the Jets go in that direction.
“They’re my two favorite corners in the draft because I think they’re long, they’re physical, they’re tough,” Mayock said. “They might not have as much upside as [Ohio State’s Bradley] Roby and the Oklahoma State kid [Justin] Gilbert, but from my perspective they’re safer. I think either of them, trust me either of them, fit [the Jets’] scheme.”
The Jets have not selected an offensive player in the first round since Mark Sanchez in 2009. Coach Rex Ryan has joked he and Idzik will be run out of town if they pick a defensive player this year.
But arguments can be made for a cornerback or a safety, where Dawan Landry and Antonio Allen are the current starters. Louisville’s Calvin Pryor said the Jets showed a lot of interest in him and Alabama’s Ha Ha Clinton-Dix said he had a great meeting with the Jets, including some time with owner Woody Johnson.
“I really got a great feel from them,” Clinton-Dix said.
Tight end seems like an obvious need, but North Carolina’s Eric Ebron, the top tight end in the draft, said he has had no contact with the Jets. It is possible the Jets could be targeting Texas Tech’s Jace Amaro in the second round to fill the tight end need.
Another intriguing storyline for the Jets is if they will draft a quarterback one year after taking Geno Smith. Eastern Illinois’ Jimmy Garoppolo visited the team and said he spent a significant amount of time with quarterbacks coach David Lee.
“I’d be thrilled to go the Jets,” Garoppolo said. “Going into that system with coach Lee and everyone it would be a blessing.”
The quarterback question and all the rest will be answered over the next three days. The wait is over.
Three draft objectives
1. Address the secondary: The Jets gave up a ton of yards (3,947) through the air last year. The team needs help at both cornerback and safety.
2. Complete the makeover: They added Eric Decker and Chris Johnson in free agency to give the offense some speed. Now, general manager John Idzik needs to finish the job of remaking the offensive skill positions with a tight end and another receiver.
3. Stick to the plan: Idzik has shown he is a master at this, but he will be thrown a lot of tempting trade options and needs to avoid making a hasty decision. The Jets could use all 12 picks to bolster their depth rather than burning them on trades.
Costello’s call
Calvin Pryor, S, Louisville: The common belief is the Jets will take either a wide receiver or cornerback here. I think they go for Pryor instead. He is the best safety in this draft and if they have a chance to get the best player at a position at which they need help, they should take it. They can take a receiver in the second round and I believe the cornerback need has been overstated.