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New Jersey – There has been several weeks to examine this class a little closer. There are going to be a lot of tough decisions at the end of the summer.
The last three weeks I’ve been busy putting out the post-draft issue of Jets Confidential Magazine. This issue is loaded with a lot of good stuff, so I hope you can check it out by subscription or on Tri-State Area News stands.
I’ve been over the draft picks and undrafted free agents with a fine tooth comb, and here are some random thoughts . . .
As for the undrafted free agents, clearly Kerry Hyder is the best in their class. He was a draftable defensive lineman. As I’ve mentioned before, the Jets weren’t a preferred landing spot for undrafted free agents because they had 12 draft picks. But what helped the Jets land Hyder is they didn’t pick any defensive linemen. IK Enemkpali played defensive end at Louisiana Tech, but will play outside linebacker for the Jets.
So Hyder, a terrific player at Texas Tech, jumped at the chance of joining defensive line gurus Rex Ryan and Karl Dunbar. He plays with a great motor, and will make himself hard to cut. Hyder is one of these guys who doesn’t look the part, but all he does is make plays. He made a lot of plays in the backfield for the Red Raiders.
Obviously, the Jets depth chart at tight end is pretty deep right now, so Arizona’s Terrence Miller likely isn’t a candidate for the regular roster. However, if he has a good summer, he would be an ideal candidate for the practice squad. Keep in mind, the 6-4, 235-pounder was a wide receiver for most of his career for the Wildcats. He was switched to tight end late in his career in Tucson. Watching him in the rookie minicamp, he runs really well for a tight end and can get way down field. He needs a year on the practice squad to get bigger and stronger. They key for him is to have a good summer catching the ball. The Jets aren’t going to take him on as a practice squad project, unless he displays good hands. At times, in college, he was inconsistent in the hands department.
If Brent Qvale doesn’t make the Jets, he should do well in the world, regardless. He’s was a tremendous student at Nebraska. The signing of Marcus Zusevics after the rookie minicamp hurt Qvale and others on the offensive tackle depth chart. Zusevics is a good football player.
Steele Divitto was a tackling machine at Boston College, but the linebacker is going to have to show he can hold up in space. I saw him studying the playbook very hard at his locker. He’s very bright and should have it down rather quickly. The question with him isn’t mental, but physical. Is he athletic enough?
Fullback Chad Young is very similar to Tommy Bohanon, but I give Bohanon the edge. Not only because he’s been in Florham Park for a year, but Young looked very, very stiff to me in rookie camp. Not that Bohanon is the most flexible guy, but he looks more flexible than Young.
I will continue this draft and undrafted series later in the week.
May 27, 2014
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