The Jets took some heat after April’s NFL Draft for the selection of Geno Smith in the second round and Sheldon Richardson with the No. 13 overall pick. Richardson has proven all those critics wrong and Smith looks as if he could do the same before the season is over.
One pick that drew very little criticism, or even skepticism, was the selection of cornerback Dee Milliner at No. 9 overall. He was the top-rated cornerback, considered worthy of a top-10 pick and looked like a can’t-miss pick.
Whoops.
Milliner has been awful this season. Things bottomed out Sunday when Milliner was benched in the second quarter against the Bengals after allowing four catches for 108 yards and a touchdown.
It is too soon to call Milliner a bust. He has played four games. But it is time to get concerned. His mistakes are not minor, they are glaring. Jets coach Rex Ryan continues to say he is not worried about Milliner, but how many times have you seen him pull a player midway through a game? And Milliner’s gotten the hook twice now.
“He’s a rookie. He needs time,” said one league executive who has scouted the Jets. “It’s been too much too fast. But I never saw a difference-maker. I don’t think he’s as explosive as some guys and that can allow guys to get open. He’s better from press areas, but guys can get initially open on him. He needs to clean up his technique. I never saw him as a ball hawk. He’s a steadily productive guy with tools, but I never saw ‘wow’ in his play. Given time, he could improve.”
For now, the Jets need to reduce his playing time. Handing him a starting job in training camp was a mistake and they repeated it when they put him right back in the starting lineup two weeks ago when he returned from a hamstring injury.
The Jets need to let him watch from the bench a little and work him in against favorable matchups (read: not Drew Brees).
The Jets won’t give up on Milliner, and they shouldn’t. They just need to lower their expectations for him this season.