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Florham Park – It’s very, very hard to be critical of the Jets’ first two picks of the draft.
Value, value, value.
It’s a time-tested approach to the draft that generally works better than any other approach – pick the best player available.
I know it sounds boring, but it’s the smart way to go.
Idzik said before the draft, that this is his philosophy, and he stuck to it.
Dee Milliner was considered by most to be the best cornerback in this draft.
Idzik said he was one of the top four players on their value board.
So to get him at nine, is a smart move.
Yes, he’s had five surgeries, but none were particularly serious, and he never missed a game at Alabama.
“It’s nothing that kept me from playing great on the field,” Milliner said. “It’s nothing really big, and you can see that from watching film.”
The only problem with this pick could be the media.
And I wrote about this a few weeks ago.
Picking a cornerback in the first round this year, creates a scenario where the media is going to hammer the player with questions about replacing Darrelle Revis.
And that is exactly what the assembled masses did today in Florham Park.
I find this terribly irresponsible.
Revis is gone, and now Antonio Cromartie is the Jets #1 corner. Milliner is coming in to compete for the #2 job.
And by the way, he’s also good in the slot, so he will be in the mix at the nickel spot as well.
This guy is a big-time football player. He was a Parade All-American coming of high school, one of the top recruits in the country, and he didn’t disappoint in Tuscaloosa. He lived up to the hype.
He’s big, fast and tough.
As long as he can stay healthy, and the Jets push the narrative that “Cro” is the #1 cornerback, this pick should work out.
Remember, Alabama coach Nick Saban is a secondary guru. He’s very hands-on in that in that area. Alabama defensive backs come into the NFL ready to roll. Not only is Saban a great secondary teacher, Alabama plays a pro-style defense, so that helps their players on the next level.
As for Sheldon Richardson, I have to admit, I was a little surprised when I heard the Jets picked him.
It wasn’t a matter of his talent, but rather whether he fit the Jets’ scheme.
I think most scouts would have told you entering the draft that Richardson would be ideal as a 4-3 defensive tackle at the three-technique spot.
In simpler terms, a smaller, quick defensive tackle who would fit the old Tampa Bay defense, not a 3-4 front.
But upon further review, I think he can actually be a good 3-4 end. While he lacks the ideal length for the spot, he does have long arms, which helps.
And think back to Rex’s first year with the Jets – one of the first players he signed was Marques Douglas.
Douglas, who is now retired, played at 6-2, 292. Richardson is 6-2 (a little over that) and 294.
Douglas thrived in Rex’s system, and so can Richardson.
With Mike DeVito gone, Richardson can take over that role as the third defensive end, rotating with Mo Wilkerson and Quinton Coples. Remember, the big fellas up front rotate a lot. And honestly, DeVito isn’t much bigger than Richardson.
Wilkerson, Coples and Richardson could be a heck of a three man rotation.
Richardson is a tremendous athlete for his size. He moves like a linebacker.
Plus he loves football and plays with great passion.
He’s from a bad-ass neighborhood in St. Louis (he has talked about this), and this has contributed to him become a tough SOB.
Look – guys as big as Richardson rarely have this kind of quick-twitch athleticism. It’s very, very rare.
The Jets were smart to jump on him.
So in closing, from a value standpoint, the Jets did an excellent job of Day One of the draft.
April 26, 2013
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