New York Jets: Mike Maccagnan stays ahead of the curve

The New York Jets have officially made their selection with their first round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. General manager Mike Maccagnan strikes again and stays ahead of curve by going with linebacker Darron Lee.

After months and months of anticipation, the Jets have finally made their selection. The pick is in and the Jets selected Lee out of Ohio State. Apparently the best player on the board just happened to fall in line with arguably the biggest need in the offseason for the Jets. Maccagnan has proven he’s not of the same thread as his predecessor John Idzik.

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Nor is he of the brash style of Rex Ryan, Maccagnan brings a calmness yet smart strategy to how the Jets upgrade their roster wisely. Maccagnan has always been about the “best player available” mentality and after only a one year sample size who was going to disagree? He’s turning the Jets into contenders for years to come.

Jan 21, 2015; Florham Park, NJ, USA; New York Jets new general manager Mike Maccagnan speaks during a press conference at Atlantic Health Jets Training Center. Mandatory Credit: William Perlman/NJ Advance Media for NJ.com via USA TODAY Sports

But now with another first round under his proverbial belt, it’s clear to see that Maccagnan will stick with his best player available strategy as long as he’s the general manager. Lee has been a popular name to the Jets in mock drafts from across the league including our very first full round mock draft over two months ago.

It adds a unique dynamic to the Jets defense, instantly Lee will line up across Lorenzo Mauldin to form a scary pass rushing duo in the AFC East. The spot opened up after the Jets decided not to bring back long-standing veteran Calvin Pace.

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Head coach Todd Bowles talked a lot this offseason about adding some speed to his linebacker corps.

With that, Bowles was a man of his word and added the fastest linebacker in the entire draft when the Jets were on the clock.

Lee ran a 4.43 at the annual 2016 NFL Combine and the Jets were intrigued with his talent.

But one thing is for sure, Maccagnan stayed ahead of the curve yet again in the draft.

This is a great pick that not only addresses their overall pass rush but landed a potential Pro Bowler once he gets acclimated to life in the NFL.

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Overall, the Jets might have struck gold with their selection of Lee to bolster their defense. It will help them push the envelope next season as they prepare to face a tougher slate of opponents but now have a quality pass rusher that could be a difference maker on defense.