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Apparently the motto of the 2013 Jets is “No offense.”
In a puzzling move, the Jets used both their first-round picks in last night’s NFL Draft on defensive players, selecting Darrelle Revis’s replacement in Alabama cornerback Dee Milliner at No. 9 overall and Missouri defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson four picks later.
New general manager John Idzik made these picks despite inheriting a team that ranked 30th in offense last season with a severe shortage of talent at wide receiver, tight end, guard, running back and major questions at quarterback.
Idzik said the Jets stuck to their draft board and did not move off of it for need.
“We selected two of our top four players on the board, period. And we’re extremely thrilled to have that,” Idzik said.
The moves could be a signal that head coach Rex Ryan has not lost as much power as was suspected. Under Ryan, the Jets have had six first-round picks. Only one was used on an offensive player — the first one on quarterback Mark Sanchez in 2009. The defensive-minded coach loves cornerbacks and defensive linemen, and now he’s got two new toys.
“You can’t blame this one on me,” Ryan said jokingly about Idzik making the picks. “These two guys are going to make an impact for us. We love what they bring to the defense, the kind of mentality that both these young men play are the same traits that we look for in really all of our players. They certainly play like a Jet.”
It is hard to argue with either player’s college credentials, but it is tough to rationalize not adding a top offensive player to a unit in desperate need of help.
“We’re not done,” Idzik said, referencing the six more picks the Jets have. “This draft is deep. There will be guys there.”
But finding immediate starters will become more difficult with each passing round of the draft. You have to wonder what Sanchez is thinking right now as he looks around him and sees little help.
The Jets may have been targeting wide receiver Tavon Austin, who was taken one spot ahead of them by the Rams, who traded up. Pass rushers Dion Jordan and Barkevious Mingo also were off the board. When the ninth pick came up, Alabama guard Chance Warmack was a possibility, but Idzik went with Milliner. At 13, they could have taken Notre Dame tight end Tyler Eifert or possibly traded down to take an offensive player later in the round.
“You’re tempted, but you’re not going to succumb to temptation,” Idzik said about going away from their draft board. “You’re going to stick to what you believe in and that’s if you have players on your board that you highly value then you’re going to stick to your talent base and that’s exactly what we did.”
The Jets took Milliner just days after trading Revis to the Buccaneers. Milliner was considered by most as the top cornerback in the draft, but comes with medical questions. He has had five surgeries already, including shoulder surgery in March. Idzik said the Jets are comfortable with what they heard from the doctors.
“I know I’ll be ready before training camp,” Milliner said of the injury.
Milliner is going to face immediate comparisons with Revis, a daunting prospect for any player. Idzik said the Revis trade had no impact on their decision to take Milliner.
“I’m not focused or worried about that,” Milliner said. “I’m just going to come in there, compete for a job and just play football and control what I can do.”
Milliner’s arrival is bad news for Kyle Wilson, the team’s first-round pick from 2010. It looks like Wilson likely will return to a nickel corner role.
Richardson is an athletic playmaker, who spent a lot of time in opponents’ backfields at Missouri. The Jets loved his athleticism at 294 pounds and pointed out the Tigers even used him at linebacker once. The questions about Richardson are how he will fit in Ryan’s scheme, and there are some maturity concerns.
This is the third straight year the Jets have taken a defensive lineman in the first round after taking Muhammad Wilkerson in 2011 and Quinton Coples last year.
brian.costello@nypost.com