Jets general manager John Idzik pulled a stunner at last year’s draft when he selected quarterback Geno Smith in the second round. Could he do it again and take another signal-caller?
It seems unlikely the Jets would draft a quarterback early. They have Smith, Michael Vick and Matt Simms on the roster. That is a nice blend of a veteran, a potential long-term starter and a developmental player. The Jets also have several pressing needs at different positions that have to be addressed. But Idzik insists the Jets will stick to their draft board. What happens if a quarterback is their top-rated player when they are on the clock in the first few rounds?
“We remain open-minded,” Idzik said last week. “Again, we’re going to evaluate each pick and the players that are available to us at that pick, and we’ll pick who we think is the best player.”
Now, Idzik would not rule out drafting a unicorn in the first round if he was asked, so we shouldn’t read too much into his answer. Still, it would be fascinating if one of the top-rated quarterbacks drops to 18. It is clear the Jets are not convinced Smith is a sure thing. Would they pass if Johnny Manziel somehow dropped to them? It’s not unprecedented. Aaron Rodgers, projected as high as No. 1 in the 2005 draft, dropped to the Packers at No. 24.
“If Johnny Manziel is there at 18, I’ll give you my cell phone number and I’ll take you out to a steak dinner,” ESPN analyst Jon Gruden said during a conference call last week.
The more likely scenario is the Jets selecting a quarterback in the middle or late rounds. The Jets have three picks in the fourth round and four in the sixth. With 12 picks overall, they can address a lot of different positions, and adding another quarterback could make sense. Longtime NFL executive Ron Wolf had a philosophy of drafting a quarterback every year so you are always developing one.
Idzik was part of the Seahawks front office in 2012 that drafted Russell Wilson in the third round despite just adding Matt Flynn. We all know how that has worked out.
The Jets have shown some interest in a few of the quarterbacks who may go in the middle and late rounds. They had Eastern Illinois’ Jimmy Garoppolo, Pittsburgh’s Tom Savage and Virginia Tech’s Logan Thomas in for visits. They have also been to visit Clemson’s Tajh Boyd to work him out.
Boyd is an interesting name to watch. Jets coach Rex Ryan knows him well because his son Seth plays for Clemson. Ryan spent a lot of time with Boyd at the Senior Bowl in January and has seen him play a ton while watching his son’s games.
Jets brass did not say much about the quarterbacks when they talked to the media last week.
“I’m not going to get into specifics on the position,” senior director of college scouting Terry Bradway said. “I don’t think that’s appropriate at this time.”
We’ll see if they have more to say later this week.