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It’s getting close, and it could turn out to be a huge couple of days in the history of the franchise . . .
With four picks in the top 38, the Jets are positioned to add a major jolt to their organization. And Joe Douglas isn’t pulling punches. With two picks in the top 10 in each of the first two rounds, he expects to land four eventual starters.
“You’re expecting those players in the first two rounds to be starters for you, so that is our viewpoint going into this draft,” Douglas said.
Remember, that doesn’t mean all four will be Week 1 starters. You don’t want to force the issue to that degree, because you need to stay away from confirmation bias, if you want to build a winning program. The chances of all four being ready to start in Week 1 is remote. A couple might be ready immediately, some might need a little time. So getting four starters with those four picks doesn’t mean immediate starters with all of them.
Or you could pick a player like dynamic edge-rusher David Ojabo (Michigan) with one of those second-rounders, who is rehabbing an achilles injury and likely won’t be ready for Week 1, but could pay major benefits in 2023. So maybe three immediate starters and one starter you redshirt in 2022, and is ready to roll in 2023. You could get a first-round talent in the second round due to the injury.
But you’ve got to get four guys who scare opponents and who they have to spend extra time game-planning for.
“They’ve got to get difference-making players,” said former NFL scout Daniel Jeremiah, who worked with Douglas in Baltimore and is now with the NFL Network “They’ve got to get playmakers on this team. You’ve got to get guys that teams fear. They’ve got to go get some of those guys in this draft.”
They got three of those guys in last year’s draft with WR Elijah Moore, RB Michael Carter and guard Alijah Vera-Tucker. Slot corner Michael Carter isn’t necessarily a game-wrecker, but looks like he could be a solid nickel corner. Last year’s draft certainly added some key pieces for the Jets.
“I think the early returns from that group are pretty positive,” Jeremiah said. “The quarterback is TBD, but I think when you look at Elijah Moore, you look at the two Michael Carters and some of the things they got in that draft, Vera-Tucker is going to be a stud. I think they’ve started off well with that one and now they’ve got to hit it out of the park with this one.”
Douglas made an interesting comment that should give Jets fans solace about Picks 4 and 10 in the first round.
“We have to have 10 players we’re excited about picking,” Douglas said. “I can tell you we have 10 players on our board that we’d be very excited to add to the team.”
This means that they will absolutely get two players they really like at 4 and 10.
But it’s also possible this comment was made as a signal to other teams that if you want to trade for either one of those two picks, you are going to have to make a really good offer, but the Jets are more than happy to stay put at 4 and 10.
April 25, 2022
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