We won’t know for several years how the Jets did during this year’s draft, but this feels like a pivotal moment for general manager Mike Maccagnan. The move to take quarterback Christian Hackenberg in the second round out of Penn State could be a huge plus or minus on Maccagnan’s record eventually.
Hackenberg gets the headline, but there were some other interesting moments in this draft for the Jets. Here is a look at five takeaways from this year’s Jets draft:
1. Mister Christian
Hackenberg took over the headlines on Friday night, when the Jets selected him with the 51st overall pick. This is a polarizing pick that has some people scratching their heads and others praising Maccagnan’s bold move.
The bottom line is this is what Maccagnan was hired for last year. Tired of cap experts Mike Tannenbaum and John Idzik running his team, owner Woody Johnson went out to find a scout to run his team. Maccagnan has been praised for his eye for talent. This draft pick will either make him look like a genius or look clueless. It was a risky pick for sure.
2. Searching for Fitz
While Hackenberg was the main quarterback topic of the draft, free agent Ryan Fitzpatrick cast a shadow over the proceedings. The pick of Hackenberg does not change the negotiations between the team and Fitzpatrick, but Todd Bowles indicated Fitzpatrick has to sign by training camp for him to feel comfortable, the first signs of a deadline by the team.
While Hackenberg could be the Jets’ quarterback of the future, he is not the quarterback of the present. The Jets need to get Fitzpatrick signed for the 2016 season. That did not change with the draft picks.
3. Toeing the line
There was plenty of pre-draft speculation the Jets would address the offensive line early. Instead they used one pick on the line — fifth-round tackle Brandon Shell, who is a project who won’t play immediately.
It appears the Jets will enter the 2016 season with just one change along the offensive line. Ryan Clady will replace the retired D’Brickashaw Ferguson at left tackle. When Clady turns 30 in September, three of the five offensive line starters will be 30 or over.
4. The need for speed
Bowles’ defense got faster. The Jets used three of their first four picks on defense. First-rounder Darron Lee is a lightning-quick linebacker who can play sideline to sideline. Third-rounder Jordan Jenkins is not as fast as Lee, but will be an improvement at outside linebacker over veteran Calvin Pace, whom the Jets let walk as a free agent.
The Jets linebacking corps grew old and slow over the past few years. This season it will have a totally new look. Only veteran David Harris will be back in the starting lineup. Erin Henderson will be the starter next to him with Lee getting plenty of playing time in sub packages. On the outside, second-year player Lorenzo Mauldin is expected to start on one side and Jenkins will be competing for the starting job opposite him with a few unproven veterans.
5. Big men on campus
A profile is starting to emerge of a Maccagnan draft pick. One thing that has become clear is he likes players from the major conferences. This year only one of the seven picks came from a lesser conference and that was punter Lachlan Edwards of Sam Houston State.
The Jets took two players each from the Big 10, SEC and ACC. If you add the 2015 draft to this year’s, only two of 13 picks came from non-power conferences. Last year, he grabbed a player from the Pac-12, Big 10, ACC, Big 12 and SEC before taking seventh-round pick Deon Simon from Northwestern State.
Maccagnan also likes younger players. His first three picks this year are all 21 years old.