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Look, I understand why people do it, but what does it really mean?
You are going to hear a lot of reports over the next couple of months about the Jets showing interest in certain draft prospects.
May the buyer beware.
Look, I’m not looking to pick on any reporter, because most of them are going to do it. Heck, I used to do it, but I’m just tell you these stories mean very little.
There was a story that the Jets “had their eye” on a certain receiver in the draft. This story got a lot of traction and got requoted a lot.
Of course, they “had their eye” on this receiver. That is the job of Joe Douglas and his scouts. To have their “eyes” on prospects in the draft. They will have their “eyes” on hundreds of players.
Like I said before, I’m not looking to attack any reporter, because I did the same thing. I’d go to the Senior Bowl, ask a player did you talk to the Jets, they would say “yes,” and I would tweet the Jets talked to so-and-so at the Senior Bowl, and a lot of Jets fans would “like” the tweet on Twitter.
But it means so little.
First of all, teams are very secretive when it comes to the draft. Sometimes, they will actually pick a player they never met in person, like the Jets with James Farrior.
NFL teams spend millions on scouting. Over the course of the nine months (or more) scouting process, leading up to a particular draft, Jets player personnel executives Douglas, Phil Savage, Chad Alexander, Rex Hogan, Jon Carr, along with all the Jets scouts, will meet with SO many players they will probably want to take some time off from talking to people for a few weeks after the draft. They talk to SO many players.
But just because you interview a player, work out a player, talk to a player’s agent and so forth, that doesn’t mean you’re interested in picking that player in the draft. I’m not sure how Douglas’ board works, but in New England, with their exacting standards, they end up with just 75 players they’re interested in drafting.
As for the Jets picking a receiver at 11, I personally think that Douglas would be more inclined to go with a stud offensive or defensive lineman. Douglas knows you must be strong in the trenches to win, and the Jets have some work to do on both lines.
While fans want the Jets to pick a receiver because that will supposedly help Sam Darnold, not sure if that is how Douglas is thinking. Some might argue that is a fantasy football worldview.
First off, this is one of the best receiver drafts in recent memory, so there are going to be really good prospects throughout the entire draft. Gil Brandt thinks it might be the best receiver draft since 2004.
So if you play your cards right, you can land very good receiver after the first round. Remember, the best receiver in football, the New Orleans Saints Michael Thomas, was picked in the second round.
Secondly, Darnold needs to improve his field vision and progressive scans. A stud receiver won’t improve this, it might just give him a guy who can win more 50-50 balls more than anyone he current has, so he can “throw him open.”
But once again, you are going to see a ton of stories about the Jets showing a lot of interest in certain prospects.
Get excited at these stories at your own risk.
It’s called doing your due diligence.
February 28, 2020
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