The 20 best draft picks in NY Jets franchise history

12. Nick Mangold, C, NY Jets (29th overall - 2006)

We transition now to the other offensive lineman the Jets drafted in the first round back in 2006. Nick Mangold was just as much a cornerstone of that Jets' offensive line as well.

Drafted 29th overall in 2006, Mangold took over the starting center job as a rookie and would go on to start 164 games with the organization before retiring following the 2016 season.

Mangold helped continue the Jets' tradition of stellar center play following in the footsteps of the likes of Kevin Mawae and Jim Sweeney. Seven Pro Bowl appearances and two first-team All-Pro selections make him a borderline Hall of Famer.

He earns a spot ahead of Ferguson given his sheer dominance at his position on top of the fact that he was selected 25 picks after his longtime teammate.

11. Emerson Boozer, RB, NY Jets (46th overall - 1966)

Emerson Boozer doesn't have the flashy numbers to be considered one of the best running backs of his generation. The future College Football Hall of Famer split carries with the likes of Matt Snell and John Riggins throughout his career and never finished with more than 850 yards in a season.

Yet, nearly 50 years after his retirement in 1975, Boozer still ranks third all-time on the Jets' rushing list behind just Curtis Martin and Freeman McNeil (more on him later).

Boozer did it all for the Jets. He was an outstanding blocker, a capable pass-catcher, and someone who had a nose for the end zone. He was a staple of those early Jets teams a key part of their Super Bowl III winning roster.

Boozer belongs on this list not just for his contributions to the team, but because he was drafted all the way in the sixth round of the 1966 AFL Draft. The Jets found a diamond in the rough who developed into a franchise icon.