Thoughts and Reactions to the New York Jets 2013 NFL Draft Class

Feb 24, 2013; Indianapolis, IN, USA; West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith (13) participates in a passing drill during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Now that the draft is about 12 hours or so in the past, time to give my complete thoughts on the group as a whole. Sean Durham will be stopping by on Monday with his opinion on the class and the prospects, but this morning I bring you mine. I brought you many of my thoughts as the weekend went by, so today will be more of a summary of my thoughts on the class as a whole. Some of my thoughts have softened a bit, some have stayed the same, so let’s get to it.

I love the fact that John Idzik worked on offensive line depth. How long have we been asking for depth on the offensive line? I have a hard time remembering any time where we WEREN’T asking for depth on the offensive line. The more bodies you can bring in along the offensive line, the better. Aboushi and Winters both graded out as good value for where they were chosen, and will have an excellent chance, competing for a spot along this offensive line.

Recent history makes the idea that William Campbell is working out as an offensive lineman as well, exciting. Campbell may be a DT, but the Jets have plans for him along the offensive line. If history repeats itself, the Jets will have quite a find in Campbell. The last guy the Jets converted in this manner, from defensive line to offensive line, is our old buddy Brandon Moore. That worked out pretty well, don’t you think? Exactly the reason that they didn’t need to take one of the guards early in the draft, so I am thrilled John Idzik didn’t fall to that pressure.

But now, to the guy pictured to the right. You guys know how I feel by now, but it bares repeating. I like the concept of bringing in competition at quarterback, but I still believe the move was made too quickly in the draft. I didn’t have ANY of these quarterbacks graded in the first two days of the draft. A feature on Geno will be coming out later on today, but my theme on him is that he is far too inconsistent. Hopefully, Rex doesn’t feel pressure to start him right away, because he will do well from sitting for a couple of years. He fumbles too much, and his accuracy is not where it needs to be.

To go along with that, they didn’t address the need for weapons during the draft itself. Yes they did with UDFAs, but for purposes of this piece, we are taking the draft in a vacuum. No matter who the quarterback is, they need weapons at their disposal, and that wasn’t addressed.

Sep 29, 2012; Winston Salem, NC, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons fullback Tommy Bohanon (42) catches a pass during the third quarter against the Duke Blue Devils at BB

Now, we talk about choosing a fullback. It’s not that they did it too high, they did choose him with the final pick of the draft. A couple of things for me, there still were weapons on the board. Da’Rick Rogers is an example of a weapon that was still on the board, when the Jets decided to take a fullback. Lex Hilliard was a serviceable player, the Jets needed help on the outside. That’s a fail for me.

However, I have warmed a bit on the first round, better than I was the other night. Dee Milliner is an excellent choice. Did they necessarily need to add a CB? No. But, it still was a legit smart idea. First, it shows an understanding of how important the CB position is in Rex Ryan’s defense. The CB basically is the straw that stirs the drink. If you can cover on the outside, the Rex Ryan defense comes to life. Milliner on one side, and Cro on the other may not be Revis, but it will help.

Secondly, Kyle Wilson is much better suited as the nickel than a starting corner. He did get better as the year went by last year, but he still isn’t starting quality. And I know that many of us will be thrilled to see less of the finger-wagging. Bringing in a starting corner puts Wilson back to his more suitable position, which makes it in and of itself a great idea.

Sheldon Richardson is an interesting choice. He has a great deal of talent, this is not in dispute. But, why not an outside rusher like Jarvis Jones? The Jets are already pretty deep on the defensive line, and have always had a problem with the outside pass rush. The only way I can justify it is going back to John Idzik’s theme, “competition”. Bringing in Richardson will keep Mo Wilkerson, Quinton Coples, and Kenrick Ellis on their game. Hey, can you imagine if Mo played better? He could dominate all by himself. In that respect, the move could work well, despite not being a position of need.

Given all of that, my final grade for the 2013 Jets draft class is……B.

What do you guys think? You know what to do, the poll is below.

What is your grade for the 2013 Jets draft class?

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