New York Jets Draft Preview- Stanford Cardinals

Sep 8, 2013; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; The offensive line was shaky at time this year, do the Jets look for some line help from Stanford? Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

The Jets offensive line had an average season as a whole last season. That is the easiest way to put it. At times they looked like a great, up and coming unit. But other times, the unit looked mediocre at best. A big issue for the Jets was the left guard position. Early in the year Vlad Ducasse was the starter, but was eventually benched for rookie Brian Winters, who also struggled majority of the year. D’Brickashaw Ferguson and Nick Mangold have been rocks on the line for years, and last year was just another example of their consistent above average play. Willie Colon and Austin Howard rounded out the right side of the line with strong seasons as well. The issue is the Jets have two free agents on the line, do they look to Stanford for help?

G/OT David Yankey– The boo birds will be out in Radio City Music Hall if the Jets select an offensive lineman with their first round pick. But would it be a bad move for the Jets? I say no, if that player is David Yankey. If the Jets feel Yankey Is the best player available when it gets to pick 18, then so be it. Yankey has the ability to play both guard and tackle, which is valuable for the Jets considering Willie Colon, and Austin Howard are free agents. If the team is unable to bring one back, Yankey can step right in and replace them. In my opinion, Yankey is better suited for guard, but can certainly help the Jets all over the line.

FS Ed Reynolds– Reynolds is one of my favorite prospects in the draft, and I feel he is a perfect second round pick for the Jets. The Jets have a hole at safety, and Reynolds can step right in and start from day one. Reynolds has terrific ball skills, and is a very aggressive player. Reynolds is a strong open field tackler, and has the ability to also line up and cover a receiver in the slot. Reynolds is a perfect fit in Rex Ryan’s aggressive defense. A combination of Reynolds and Antonio Allen would be a strong, young duo for the Jets for years to come.

DE/OLB Trent Murphy– Reports are saying that the Jets have strong interest in Calvin Pace, but they would be foolish to avoid the OLB position since Pace is not going to be the answer long-term due to his age. Adding a guy like Trent Murphy, to pair with Antwan Barnes, would put pressure on opposing quarterbacks for years. Murphy is a strong, tough strong pass rusher who uses his wide array of bull rush moves to Murphy also has the ability to drop back in coverage and cover a tight end, or running back out of the backfield. Murphy would thrive off the Jets strong defensive line.

These are three prospects from the Stanford Cardinals who I feel would be good fits for the New York Jets. What do you think?