Can’t Rain On Jets Parade

Why does the media give draft grades the day after the draft? Better question: Why does the media do the grading? After all most of these guys like CBS Sportsline’s Pete Prisco and Yahoo’s Jason Cole are not athletes nor front office player personnel people. They are more like Siskel & Ebert. Thumbs up I loved The English Patient or thumbs down I had no idea what that schlocky movie was about.

Here we are not 24 hours removed from a very solid draft by the New York Jets and these two “journalists” are handing out grades on players they have never met for a sport they watch on TV. Qualifications? Excuse me, but can I see your resume once more?

No offense to our good friends in Kansas City but it is harder to get a failing grade when you have 13 draft picks than get a glowing review. Yes the Chiefs did well in the draft but let me repeat that number: Thirteen picks. Three of those picks came from having to unload their franchise player Jared Allen who is only 26.

The Jets had less than half as many picks but did alright for themselves adding stud rusher Vernon Gholston and a tight end missile in Dustin Keller. On day 2 the Jets made several picks that could turn out to be steals in CB Dwight Lowery and WR Marcus Henry both of whom fill position needs and have the size and productivity in college to at least seem to be winners from those as qualified to judge drafts like Prisco and Cole. The fact they seem to question the selection of Vernon Gholston is what irks me. Not to put much stock in their opinion because we all know what opinions are like right? I also don’t want to give their work that much creedence but you have to wonder just what their impressions of Gholston would have been had the New England Patriots drafted him. After all, no matter what they do seems to be the smartest move a team could make. Having a very un-Patriots like draft the Pats didn’t make much noise, didn’t stockpile picks and reached on a late rising linebacker in Jerod Mayo who only 2-3 weeks ago was regarded by everyone not named Mel Kiper, Jr. as a second round pick. Enter the Pats who trade down after their target – Gholston – was gone. Now Mayo is a top ten draft pick and these guys are already carving his bust for Canton.

Let’s have some distance here and see what these guys do in a preseason game first before we start coronating the king of the draft.