May 10, 2013; Florham Park, NJ, USA; New York Jets general manager John Idzik (left) talks with head coach Rex Ryan (right) during New York Jets rookie minicamp at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

We have talked about this at length in weeks gone by, the fact that John Idzik had a very widely debated inaugural draft with the New York Jets. The grades ranged from B to D, which is quite the jump. Many felt that Idzik ignored dire needs of the team and instead made unexpected selections.

What he actually did was stick to his big board, and didn’t waver from it for any reason. He went with the best player on that board, no matter what the position. Maybe it’s due to the fact that the Jets needed to get younger, but what you have in the result is a draft that will produce several starters come week 1.

Here are my thoughts on who they will be:

SHELDON RICHARDSON: OK, we start with the obvious. Richardson was chosen for his ability to be an impact player along the defensive line. The move of Quinton Coples to outside linebacker cements the idea that the Jets want Richardson to play right away. By all accounts, he looked good at rookie minicamp. I know that doesn’t tell us very much, but the writing is quite clearly written. Sheldon Richardson will be running out on the field with the first team defense week one against Tampa Bay.

DEE MILLINER*: Obviously, with the trade of Mr. Revis, Milliner was brought in here to play. He had a terrific college career, and he will serve to move Kyle Wilson back into the slot. Even though he wasn’t able to do anything but ride the bike, Rex Ryan commented on how sharp Milliner is with his knowledge of the defense. He talked about how he is right there with all of the answers.

The asterisk is for his health. He has had five surgeries already, and is not ready to work out yet. The biggest concern is whether or not Dee can get on the field enough to get the work in to start week one. If he is healthy, there is no doubt he will be on the field, on the opposite side of Antonio Cromartie.

Nov 25, 2011; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Kent State Golden Flashers offensive lineman Brian Winters (66) along the sidelines during the second quarter against the Temple Owls at Lincoln Financial Field. Temple defeated Kent State 34-16. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports

BRIAN WINTERS: The youth movement will continue on the offensive line. I was thinking about also putting a draft pick at right guard, but in the end, I believe Stephen Peterman will win that job ultimately. But the same won’t be said about left guard.

Oday Aboushi has been talked about by Rex Ryan as a “swing guy”, that will play on both sides of the line. For the sake of a prediction, that doesn’t scream “starter”, it says depth. So far, Rex has been happy with what he has seen from Brian, saying that “you know what you get out of the kid from Kent State”. What we are going to get from the kid is a starting left guard.

TOMMY BOHANON: And finally the sleeper pick to start, the final pick of the 2013 group. Lex Hilliard has done nothing to blow anybody away at the fullback position, despite replacing John Conner last year. A lot of us wondered if the selection of Bohanon was the beginning of “Terminator 2″, but Bohanon showed of some skills at rookie camp.

He seems to be quite the receiver, and that will help him greatly in Marty’s offense. In 2001, Cory Schlesinger, under the tutelage of Marty, caught 60 passes in his offense. A pass catching fullback is an underrated weapon in his system, and I believe Bohanon will be just that.

Four starters in the draft class? I see that as a pretty good start to the career of John Idzik, don’t you?

May 10, 2013; Florham Park, NJ, USA; New York Jets rookie quarterback Geno Smith (7) drops back to pass during New York Jets rookie minicamp at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

There has been a lot of criticism of Geno Smith since the New York Jets drafted him with the 39th choice overall in the draft. He’s been called a “diva”, “spoiled”, and disinterested as he went through the interviewing process. He hasn’t even thrown a pass in the NFL to date, and already the media has gotten in work to bring him down.

Geno Smith met with the media following the first day of rookie minicamp at Florham Park and sounded nothing like the spoiled diva that he has been described as. I am going to bring you some of his comments from the media session.

First, about whether he is disappointed in the criticism he has taken:

I don’t think anyone who’s worked with me or has known me in the past has had anything negative to say. I think from what I’ve seen, my coaches and teammates have all said great things about me. But I’m not focused on that. I’m focused on what I have here with the Jets, proving myself to my teammates and coaches and just focusing on bettering myself daily. You try to master this offense and (just be) one of the guys.

How his skill set matchups up with the Jets’ new offense:

I think it’s going to be a transition. Obviously, it’s a different system than I had been in, but like I said, it’s just about the work that I put in and making sure that I’m in that playbook day and night, studying film, watching guys from the past and the present who have played in a similar system and trying to figure out ways to implement my game into it.

On learning the playbook:

I’ve been studying my butt off. I’ve been in the playbook learning formations (and) learning protections. (I) had install one about two days ago and had to learn every single play and be able to go into the huddle, tell it to my teammates and then go out there and execute it. I think I did a good job overall today. There were some bumps in the road, but those are things that I think I can clean up.

On holding some throws too long:

You don’t want to throw into traffic, you don’t want to throw blind. I think it’s best to be safe than sorry, so if I have to hold onto it and see it later on film to be able to trust it more, as of right now, it’s just day one, so there are a lot of things that need to be improved and that would be one of them.

On meeting with the offensive line in his room the night before practice:

Yes, as soon as I got in my room, they were all in there going over the plays, so I took it upon myself to join them and we started to do more and more. It really helped us out today because we were able to get in and out of the huddle. (There) were not many miscommunications between us. I think we did a pretty decent job overall.

This to me sounds like a young man who is hungry, wants to become a great football player, and is ready to do the work. Let’s see him on the field before we get on his case.

May 10, 2013; Florham Park, NJ, USA; New York Jets general manager John Idzik (left) talks with head coach Rex Ryan (second from right) during New York Jets rookie minicamp at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Isn’t it nice to see the Jets putting the pads back on and getting back to football? Even if it’s just rookie camp, it is still football, and I am pumped up.

While the guys were at work on the field, John Idzik was at work getting them under contract, with the draft class signings now at 4, and 14 UDFAs signed. Here is the complete list:

Draft Picks:

Name                                       Pos.     Ht.       Wt.       School                                       Hometown

Oday Aboushi                          OL       6-5       308      Virginia                           Staten Island, NY

Tommy Bohanon                      FB        6-1       247      Wake Forest          North Fort Myers, FL

Will Campbell                           G         6-4       311      Michigan                                 Detroit, MI

Brian Winters                           G         6-4       320      Kent State                               Hudson, OH

Undrafted Free Agents:

Name                                       Pos.     Ht.       Wt.       School                                       Hometown

Davis, Troy                              LB        6-2       251      Central Florida                  Lawrenceville, GA

Edwards, Mike                         DB       5-10     186      Hawaii                                    Cleveland, OH

Freeman, Dalton                      OL       6-5       291      Clemson                                       Pelion, SC

Gilleo, Trey                              OL       6-7       309      Northern Arizona                      Kingman, AZ

Holliday, Roosevelt                  DL        6-2       307      Eastern Illinois                       Bolingbrook, IL

McDonough, Jake                    DL        6-5       305      Iowa State                                Urbandale, IA

Miles, Rontez                           S          6-0       203      California (PA)                         Braddock, PA

Pantale, Chris                          TE        6-5       254      Boston College                            Wayne, NJ

Popek, Mark                            OL       6-7       308      South Florida                           Plant City, FL

Rogers, Zach                           WR      6-0       182      Tennessee                               Nashville, TN

Shanahan, Mike                       TE        6-4       241      Pittsburgh                   North Huntingdon, PA

Spadola, Ryan                          WR      6-1       204      Lehigh                                          Howell, NJ

Stroud, K.J.                              WR      6-3       205      Bethune-Cookman                   Brooklyn, NY

Wilson, Antavious                    WR      6-1       196      Marshall                                    Pahokee, FL