New York Jets: Top 10 Draft Picks Since the Year 2000: #1

For anyone who hasn’t been with us the last several days, let me bring you up to speed. For 10 days now, we have been taking a look back at the last 12 years of drafts by the New York Jets. Specifically, as John Idzik and his team have been preparing for the big night, April 25th, we have been looking back at the top 10 draft picks for the Jets since the year 2000. Here is the list so far, with links to their posts as always:

10. David Harris09. Mark Sanchez08. Laveranues Coles07. Shaun Ellis06. Chad Pennington05. Leon Washington04. Jerricho Cotchery03. D’Brickashaw Ferguson02. Nick Mangold

Now, to reveal the number one best draft pick by the Jets since the year 2000.  I am trying to make this at least a little bit suspenseful, but I kid of feel that you already know the answer.  Heck, I had one of my regular readers/commenters already discussing whether or not this player should be the number one choice.

However, I’ll give you the clues.  He’s a cornerback, one that is beloved by the entire fan base for his play on the field.  He may be wearing a different uniform come the start of the 2013 season, and if/when that happens, it will come with a  significantly mixed reaction from Jets Nation.  He takes one man out of the game by himself.  I think you know who I mean…….

DARRELLE REVIS

Was there really any doubt?  Well, as my commenter did point out, you could make the argument that he should be number 3, behind Mangold and Ferguson.  He has, at least lately, shown a very “me-first” attitude, and it has rubbed a lot of us the wrong way.  He makes a great point, but in this case, I wanted to take the play on the field in a “vacuum”, and taking that into account, there is no other way to go with number one.

Darrelle’s play on the field is beyond superlative. When he has been healthy, he has been the best corner in the sport, and arguably the best corner ever to play the position, and it didn’t always show up in the boxscore. Remember 2010? He had no INT’s but still was second in the race for defensive player of the year. He had no picks because nobody threw at him. His man was never open. Take a look at his career stats:

He quite simply, takes his man out of the game, all by himself. Darrelle’s technique of using his body and pinning his man near the sideline renders him never open. His man is always covered, and when the QB takes a chance, Revis has great hands and is more than athletic enough to make the tough catch. Here are some highlights to refresh all of our memories:

He may be a pain in the neck off the field, but on the field, there is no other choice for number one. Darrelle Revis, nothing more to say.

Honorable Mention: John Abraham

So there is the complete list….what do you guys think?