NY Jets owe it to Sam Darnold to alter their recent history in the NFL Draft

The NY Jets owe it to Sam Darnold to alter their recent history in the NFL Draft. Here are the details and what it could mean.

The NY Jets haven’t made the playoffs since 2010 and the team’s offense has been lackluster, to say the least.

One reason for that?

The team has ignored its offense in the NFL Draft over the last decade-plus. As a matter of fact, the last first-round pick the NY Jets drafted that was a non-quarterback offensive skill player was back in 2008 when the team snagged tight end, Dustin Keller, out of Purdue.

Per ESPN’s Rich Cimini, Gang Green is tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the second-longest drought (11 years) behind only the Green Bay Packers (17 years, Javon Walker, wide receiver back in 2002).

That drought is likely to end in the upcoming 2020 NFL Draft. The NY Jets own the 11th overall pick in the first round.

In the court of public opinion, the decision for the Jets has been boiled down to offensive tackle vs wide receiver.

The #Jets Zone w/ @BoyGreen25 feat former #NFL GM @mlombardiNFL:– Takes us inside an #NFLDraft war room on draft day.– Biggest Q w/ Tua Tagovailoa isn't what you think it is.– Does a virtual draft put more pressure on GMs in the league?#TakeFlighthttps://t.co/YIDsknhRB4

— The Jets Zone (@TheJets_Zone) April 15, 2020

Technically an offensive lineman selection wouldn’t end that streak, only a wide receiver would be able to do that. Gang Green has certainly done their homework on all of the top wide receivers in this class.

Jerry Jeudy is considered one of the premier route runners in the draft out of Alabama. CeeDee Lamb is a physical freak that can create after the catch. While finally the last receiver considered in the upper echelon also hails from Alabama and that’s Henry Ruggs III. He brings elite speed and some of the best hands in the entire draft.

Any one of these potential selections would be a huge upgrade over the NY Jets current crop of wide receivers.

That’s where we get back to the point of all of this, not only should Gang Green end this embarrassing drought, but they owe it to their quarterback Sam Darnold to do so.

Believe it or not, two years of Darnold’s career is already in the books. He still has three years left on his rookie deal (including the fifth-year option), but time is not on their side.

With the way quarterback contracts are going, by the time Darnold is due, the team will have missed its championship window of opportunity and will then have to pay Sam an exorbitant amount of money.

They can’t waste any more time in the NFL Draft, they have to improve the offense as soon as possible with more protection and more playmakers. That starts in the 2020 NFL Draft with the 11th overall pick.