New York Jets 2014 NFL Draft Preview
By Mike Nash
Sep 22, 2013; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets running back Bilal Powell (29) with the ball against the Buffalo Bills at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
Last week I started to look at certain prospects in college that I believe would be solid draft options for the Jets. This week, and every week leading up to the draft I will be doing the same thing. Although it is impossible to know what pick they will have since it is only week 4, I am just basing the players on who would help the Jets, no matter what their draft stock is. These are the three guys who I feel would help the Jets immensely.
TE Eric Ebron- North Carolina Tarheels ( Saturday, 12:30 PM vs ECU) – I’ll be honest, before the season I did not know much about Ebron, but watching him play the first few games of the season I was able to realize that this is a player I definitely need to keep an eye on. While North Carolina, is not on TV often, when they are I highly recommend taking some time to watch Ebron. Ebron is a huge target for any QB who has exceptional agility and strength. Ebron is a tight end, but is able to line up as a receiver due to his great speed. He would be a matchup nightmare for any secondary in the slot. Ebron needs to work on his route running, but overall Ebon is a first round talent who would immediately boost the Jets offense.
WR Mike Evans- Texas A&M ( Saturday 7:00 PM vs Arkansas ESPN) – If you watched the highly anticipated game between Alabama and A&M, you know all about Mike Evans. Evans had the game of his life and has turned into quarterback Johnny Manziel’s favorite target. The thing that was quite obvious to me watching Evans is that no ball is uncatchable to him. On many occasions Evans made spectacular leaping grabs right over the top of the dominant Crimson Tide defense. Evans is a strong athlete with great speed who has the ability to get by the secondary with ease. While the Jets’ receivers looked good last week vs the Bills, there is still some uncertainty with this group going forward. Adding Evans to this group would be a huge get for Gang Green. Evans is only a Sophomore, so keep an eye on him leading up to the draft.
OLB Khalil Mack- Buffalo Bulls ( Saturday 3:30 PM vs UConn) – With Calvin Pace only brought back on a one year deal, and getting up in age, I would not be surprised if the Jets decide to go after an OLB in the draft at some point early on. Mack is a bit undersized, but a little work in the weight room can certainly fix that quickly. Everyone knows Rex Ryan loves to get pressure on the quarterback, and Mack can certainly help out in that department. Mack has a very fast first move that allows him to blow by the left or right tackle. He is a very smart and instinctive player who is always in position to make a play. He is also a very hard hitter, but needs a little work in stopping the run. Mack is a first round talent, who might be someone the Jets keep a close eye on.
These are three players who I believe would be a big help to the Jets in the 2014 season. Next week we will look at 3 more athletes.