There’s no truth to the rumor that Jets coach Rex Ryan’s wife, Michelle, played cornerback on the women’s flag football team at Southwestern Oklahoma State, where the two met as college sweethearts some 25 years ago.
Because let’s face it, Ryan is so obsessed with cornerbacks he might as well be married to one.
That’s why Ryan and the Jets made Boise State cornerback Kyle Wilson the team’s newest offseason acquisition with the 29th pick in the NFL Draft at about 10:40 last night.
Ryan, in fact, sweated it out as the picks began flying off the board last night, fearing another team might swoop in and swipe Wilson from the Jets’ grasp.
“Looking at the board I kept saying, ‘Just hang in there,’ ” Ryan said.
Asked what the wait was like, Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum, a nervous guy on a calm day, said jokingly, “A couple [of] thousand calories.”
Ryan was so giddy about the pick that he basically anointed Wilson as the starting nickel back in the sub packages despite veterans Dwight Lowery and Drew Coleman already on the roster and with more experience.
“When we draft a guy in the first round,” Ryan said, “he’s going to play. He’ll be a starting nickel and our punt returner.”
Wilson, a Piscataway (N.J.) native who watched the draft from his home just a few miles down Route 287 from the Jets facility in Florham Park, called getting word from Ryan over the phone last night “surreal.”
“Honestly, I feel right at home,” Wilson said. “Personally, [the Jets] were one of the best visits I had. One of the best connections I had was with [the Jets] staff. I couldn’t have dreamt it any better.”
Asked what he will bring to the Jets, Wilson said, “I just make plays. Whatever they need me to do I can do it with my versatility.”
Wilson, who had 11 career interceptions at Boise State, where he was captain, averaged 12.6 yards on 63 career punt returns. In 2008, he returned three punts for touchdowns to lead the nation. He’s an all-around athlete, having competed in track in high school as well as playing receiver, safety and kick returner.
He, too, is a winner, having been a part of three consecutive New Jersey state championship teams in high school (going 33-3) and being named MVP of those title games in his junior and senior years.
He’s known to be very strong for his size (5-foot-10, 194 pounds) and has benched pressed 225 pounds 25 times at the NFL Combine in February.
The fact the Jets went after Wilson was a classic example of them setting themselves up exactly where they wanted to be for the draft — in need of no particular player or position to reach for.
“In this case the board and need aligned,” Tannenbaum said. “From our perspective that’s the dream scenario. The way the board fell it was an easy decision. Those are the fun picks because they’re easy. He was the best player on our board at 29.”
Tannenbaum and Ryan said this pick had a lot to do with the Jets’ AFC Championship loss to the Colts when Peyton Manning picked apart their thin cornerback group en route to the Super Bowl.
“Clearly, that was an issue, certainly,” Ryan said.
“This gives us a better chance to compete against the passing attacks we have to face in AFC,” Tannenbaum said.
Interestingly, when the 29th pick arrived, the Jets actually had the pick of several players they never dreamed would be available so deep into the draft.
Two outside linebackers with potential big-time pass rushing potential who Jets scouts had coveted — Jerry Hughes from TCU and Sergio Kindle from Texas — had not been drafted.
It seemed certain they would pick one of the two.
Instead, the Jets went with exactly what Ryan always covets on his defenses — a cornerback.
Draft pick profile:
NAME: Kyle Wilson
HOMETOWN: Piscataway, N.J.
SCHOOL: Boise State
HEIGHT: 5-10
WEIGHT: 194
POSITION: CB/PR
IN THE NCAA: Last season had three INTs, Team captain. In ’08, had five INTs and returned 33 punts for an average of 14.2 yards and his three punt return TDs led the nation.
IN THE NFL: He will make an immediate impact on special teams and could work his way into a nickel and dime back role on defense. Could take over for Jim Leonhard as the punt returner.
