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With the draft, you often need to make site adjustments, because the best-laid plans can be taken away from you . . .
The Pittsburgh Steelers traded with New England to move up to the 14 spot to pick Georgia offensive tackle Broderick Jones. This was clearly done to move ahead of the Jets, a team many thought would pick Jones.
So with offensive lineman Peter Skoronski, Paris Johnson, Darnell Wright and Jones gone, picking one of the other offensive linemen at 15 would have been a significant reach, so they went with their value board and drafted Will McDonald an edge rusher from Iowa State.
Smart move. Stick to the board.
“We let the board come to us,” said Jets GM Joe Douglas.
And this was more of a need than some people think. Don’t take this the wrong way, but Jermaine Johnson was kind of quiet last year. He could explode in Year Two, but Johnson didn’t flash that much last year, aside from that sack where he tracked down Josh Allen from behind who was running to his right, but that wasn’t a play where he beat a tackle. That was hustle play. Johnson needs to show he can beat offensive tackles with more consistency.
I’m not writing him off Johnson by any stretch. He could pop this year, but they needed another edge-rusher, and remember, Robert Saleh-Jeff Ulbrich-Aaron Whitecotton like to rotate players quite a bit because they require a lot of running sideline to sideline.
McDonald had 33 sacks in college and has tremendous character. The only question about the player is what do you do with him on first and second down at 6-3, 238 pounds. Is he big enough to set the edge on running-downs? We will see, but we know he can get to the quarterback on passing downs, so he will likely start off as a situational rusher.
And remember, the Jets should have more favorable passing-rushing scenarios this year with Aaron Rodgers at QB. When you are playing from in front more, which they should do more with Rodgers at QB, that sets up more opportunities for edge-rushers to pin their ears back and get after the quarterback. When you are playing from behind, like was the case the last couple of years, the pass rushers don’t get this chance very often.
Such a big part of being a great edge-rusher is having the ability to bend the corner. McDonald is a very flexible athlete who can dip his shoulder under offensive tackles, like Bryce Huff. And he also has a very good spin move to go inside when offensive tackles overplay him outside.
The pick surprised McDonald.
“I didn’t know they were interested in me,” McDonald said.
McDonald was asked what his ceiling is in the NFL.
“I’m going to try to get to the Hall of Fame,” McDonald.
Okay now.
Robert Saleh was asked for a player comparison and he said Randy Gregory and Brian Burns. Gregory with the Denver Broncos and Burns with the Carolina Panthers are both about 6-5, 250, so they have a similar lithe build and have excellent first-step quickness and have that elite bend.
Once again, Douglas did a nice job not reaching for need, but instead sticking to his board, something he learned from the master Ozzie Newsome in Baltimore, where Joe was a long-time scout.
Stick to your value board and pick really good football players, regardless of position. Not a bad approach.
“We are not going to force anything and let the board come to us,” said Douglas.
April 27, 2023
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