Sitting with the No. 6 overall pick in Saturday’s NFL Draft, the Jets will be faced with a moving-parts set of choices or dilemmas, depending on your view.
The first question is whether they make a pick at that spot when their turn arrives or whether they make a move and trade down, which is a distinct possibility.
From there, if they keep the pick, questions abound about will be there for them at No. 6.
The wildcards in the equation revolve around a few players and the Raiders. Arkansas RB Darren McFadden is considered by many as the most dynamic player in the draft, and Ohio State DE/LB Vernon Gholston is probably the best defensive player who could be available at No. 6. The Raiders, who have the No. 4 pick, could swing things one way or the other for the Jets.
The Raiders, despite already being stacked at running back, are a team that generally cannot pass up the speed of McFadden. Nevertheless, if DE Chris Long, the son of former Raider Howie Long, is there at No. 4, can the Raiders pass him up?
If they pick Long and the Falcons, at No. 3, don’t pick McFadden, then the Jets will be faced with the prospect of drafting McFadden, whom they entertained earlier this week at a boxing night in Manhattan.
But the Jets have $20 million invested in RB Thomas Jones and also have Leon Washington. How are those two going to fit in with McFadden in the mix?
If the Jets are committed in their belief that McFadden can be the game-breaking, game-changing back in the NFL that he was in college, then the above question should be moot. They should choose McFadden.
But there are also questions about McFadden’s off-the-field issues, which include a couple bar fights and some unanswered paternity issues. This very well might cause the Jets to shy away.
Another tantalizing possibility the Jets may face is whether Boston College QB Matt Ryan is available at No. 6. Ryan is widely considered the best all-around quarterback in the draft.
There have been two schools of thought regarding the Jets and Ryan:
n They’re highly interested in him, but are laying very low on him with hopes that other teams don’t sense their interest.
n Or their interest in him is a smokescreen in hopes that, if he’s available at No. 6, there might be some interested takers to trade up and get him (see Baltimore at No. 8).
The level of the Jets’ interest in a quarterback high in the draft will be compelling, because it directly affects Kellen Clemens, whom they drafted in the second round three years ago and has been considered their future.
Certainly, if the Jets take Ryan at No. 6, the world will know what they think of Clemens.
It, too, would provide an indication of Eric Mangini’s and GM Mike Tannenbaum’s confidence in their job security, because they have treated this offseason in a win-now manner, dishing out $140 million in veteran free agency contracts.
Even if the Jets don’t draft Ryan, they are believed to be very interested in Delaware QB Joe Flacco, who’s projected to be a second-round pick.
Flacco, though, might not be available when the Jets’ pick (No. 36 overall) in the second round arrives because the Falcons, who pick two slots ahead of the Jets, are also said to be interested in Flacco.
If McFadden is not an option and Ryan is either not available or they’re not interested in him, the Jets probably will take Gholston, a solid pass rusher and can play either outside LB or DE.
The dilemma here is the Jets just paid huge money to free agent Calvin Pace to be a pass-rushing OLB, and they committed $5 million a year to OLB Bryan Thomas before last season, a year in which he was almost invisible.
Though he’s not expected to be available, perhaps the best-case scenario for the Jets would be seeing Chris Long there at No. 6. He’s not only a Mangini kind of guy in terms of character and work ethic, but he’s considered the best pass-rushing DE in the draft. Long, however, is not likely to get past the Rams at No. 2 overall or the Raiders at No. 4.
The Jets also need a down-the-field, game-breaking WR, though they likely will not use their No. 6 overall pick to fill that need.
Some of the best WRs include LSU’s Early Doucet, Cal’s DeSean Jackson, Florida’s Andre Caldwell and Oklahoma’s Malcolm Kelly, whose 6-foot-4 height could be attractive.
Kelly and Jackson are considered first-round projections. Another possibility for the Jets in the second round, if he lasts that long, is Texas WR Limas Sweed, who’s got great size at 6-foot-4, 215 pounds.
One situation to keep a close eye on is Jets DT Dewayne Robertson, whom they have been trying to trade for months. The guess here is that someone will give the Jets a low-round pick for him by the end of the draft.
The Jets have had numerous players visit their facility during the pre-draft process. These players include: Gholston, Auburn DE/LB Quentin Groves, Tennessee LB Jerod Mayo, McFadden, Illinois RB Rashard Mendenhall, who some consider the best back in the draft, Troy State CB Leodis McKelvin, Virginia T/G Branden Albert, Indiana CB Tracy Porter and Virginia Tech CB Brandon Flowers. The Jets went to Boston to work Ryan out.
THREE WHO COULD BE JETS
WR Limas Sweed / Texas, 6-4, 215:
Great size and better hands and is an Eric Mangini type of player, a leader with good character. He was limited in his senior season because of a wrist injury and could drop to the second round because of his lack of production. He ran the 40 in 4.55 seconds and could team well with Jerricho Cotchery and Laveranues Coles, who could be moved to the slot with his toughness and route running.
RB Darren McFadden / Arkansas, 6-1, 211:
McFadden is, quite simply, the most compelling figure in this draft. He’s either going to turn a team’s offense completely around or he’s going to be an expensive bust who sets a team back years. He rushed for more than 1,000 yards in each of his three college seasons and had 18 100-yard games in the past two years. He also ran the 40 in 4.33 seconds and is a very good pass receiver. The questions about him are his off-field issues, leg strength and how tough he is playing through injuries.
DE/LB Vernon Gholston
Ohio State, 6-3, 266:
Could be the most explosive pass rusher in this draft, an area where the Jets are anemic. Can play standing up as a LB or with his hand on the ground as a DE. He ran the 40 in 4.67 seconds. The Question is whether he’s the same player as Calvin Pace, whom the Jets signed as a free agent this offseason. Gholston could be a strong pass rusher as a LB in the Jets 3-4 defensive scheme.