The Jets can take one of 2 directions, but the Rd 1, Rd 2, Rd 3, & Rd 4 picks are critical to the future, while the (2) remaining picks in Rd 7 can be throw-aways.
Which direction they choose to go will dictate the direction this management team THINKS they are going, with regard to the QB dilemma.
If they pick defense, then they believe Fitzpatrick can be a franchise QB and the offense is sufficiently deep (with the return of both Shaq Evans & Q at WR - Salas probably is an injury settlement waiting to happen, or not, depending on if he goes on the PUP & misses any time in training camp), in talent.
If they go offense they are building towards the eventual acquisition of some other QB, who will then step into an ideal condition for a rookie QB.
Currently the Jets will pick thus;
(Full details further below, for those interested.)
Rd 1-#6 (6th):
Rd 2-#37 (5th):
Rd 3-#70 (6th):
Rd 4-#104 (5th):
Rd 7-#223 (6th):
Rd 7-#224 (7th): --> from CHI, in 2015 WR Brandon Marshall trade.
The front runner positions here are obvious.
Either the Jets opt to repeat CHI's success with Marshall by adding an Alshon Jeffery-type #1 WR to their receiving corps, (not a good indicator for Shaq's future prospects), or they go defense and grab that long-needed pass-rushing OLB replacement for ancient grizzle-bearded Pace.
WR indicates a lack of trust in Fitzpatrick from 2 directions;
1.) He needs even more weapons to be successful
2.) He isn't the long-term or even intermediate solution & whichever developmental QB prospect is brought in has to have every conceivable advantage.
The telling point on how the Jets are thinking will be whether or not they also go after another receiving TE.
If they get a new TE to pair with Amato, Fitzpatrick is N-f-L in NJ.
Rd 1-#6 (6th)
Rd 2-#37 (5th)
This is where it gets tricky.
On the one hand the Jets could go after 6'-2" Jalen Strong (4.31s-4.52s with a 42" vertical @ Combines), who has little spider suction cups on his hands and nails anything within 5' of his radius or take a bit of a chance on 6'-2" Breshad Perriman, (who's 13% drop rate [7/54] was his one troubling point) and add blazing ZOOM-ation to the receiving corps.
If WR is the goal, it's probable that both Amari Cooper and Kevin White will be the 1st & 2nd WRs off the board, perhaps even before the Jets get on the clock at #6.
Six or seven of the top 10 picking teams are badly in need of more WR help, without adding in the Jets even.
Trampa, ATL, & the Jets are the only 3 who don't need one badly enough to drop a Top-10 pick on one at this point.
Perriman is of NFL stock, (5'-10" daddy Brett played for DET for years), has had excellent coaching, and has all the other tangible and intangible qualities you look for in a TRUE #1 WR - on top of his 4.22s-4.27s speed clocked at his UCF Pro Day.
In terms of WR speed, that is Randy Moss fast & certainly historically fast for any WR in NFL history, even former Olympic hopeful, James Jett (1992).
Hands, or speed - either in the big bodies today's NFL requires.
We know you can't coach size or speed, but hands ARE fixable.
Woe to the GM who gets it wrong on this pick.
Honestly however, HYATT™ believes the top 7 ranked WRs in this class are all "can't miss" prospects, with the exception of troubled DG-B.
A year from now we could all be sitting around thinking - "Baby JayZUZ - the 2015 WR class is even BETTER than the 2014 one was."
Which brings us to HYATT™'s REAL point of this opening discussion.
OLB or WR?
WRs have been talked about endlessly & we are all fairly conversant with the top dozen or so prospects that can be had all the way into Rd 3 for any team needing a #2 or even a sorta-#1, so let's move over to the other side of the ball for a bit and concentrate on the other most needed position in NJ - pass-rushing OLB.
First off, ask yerself, is it REALLY that big of a need or just an illusion created by a piss-poor secondary last season?
Based on several past seasons, HYATT™ has to say it's been an open question for a long time, even when Revis and Cro were last both in NJ, back in 2011-'12, so the answer would be yes - and for the exact same reason - Calvin Pace.
If this were horseshoes, hand grenades, or even atomic weaponry practice, Pace MIGHT be good enough, but in the NFL "good enough" only gets you "sorta close".
The goal here is to get ALL the way there, bullseye, dead-center - and Pace simply isn't the man to do it.
Quite honestly, at this point HYATT™ has to confess that the Coples as an OLB experiment is also a failure, Babin apparently has hit his limit and is now no longer the player he was, & only the more fervent Jets fans are still holding out hope that Demario Davis is going to ever become a threat to QBs earning a living in this league.
Ergo, not only do the Jets need a pass-rushing OLB, but they need TWO of them to straighten out this LB corps....and HYATT™ has just the 2 in mind.
First up, the usual suspects, 2015 version:
Either DE or OLB prospects are under consideration, HYATT™ being particularly loathe to draft DEs with converting them to OLB in mind.
Good examples are the 2 top-ranked DEs in this class, Gregory & Ray - both of whom weigh in at the 240# marker, are undersized as 4-3 DEs, & seriously underweight to be considered as 3-4 OLBs. Gregory in particular is so top-heavy that NFL linemen are going to have a great time chopping the legs out from under that 6'-5" beanpole frame of his. Hope he's an excellent high hurdler.
No, there are only 3 DEs in this entire class worthy of consideration as convertable to OLB at the next level;
Convertable Defensive Ends:
Alvin "Bud" Dupree: "Bud" is the real deal folks, no "workout warrior" he. His skills come so naturally he flat-out refused to go to a special trainng facility to get ready for the Combines, choosing instead to do what he's always done in the U of Kentucky training room.
The result was some of the best numbers turned in at the Indy Combines among all LBs and convertable DEs.
Owamagbe Odighizuwa: I dearly hope this kid has a long and productive career in the NFL, if only for the comedic value of hearing broadcasters repeatedly attempting to say his name properly.
HYATT™ will probably settle for a couple of coughs into his fist and move on.
"Wam Odi" carries significant injury history baggage however.
Danielle Hunter (pronounced "Duh-neal", not like yer hot cousin Dan-yell): 2nd round ranked Hunter replaced Barkevious Mingo at LSU but wasn't as productive. Scouts like his P(-otential) upside but like Quentin Coples, he applies a lot of pressure without quite getting the brass ring each time.
Dupree is the only prospect HYATT™ carried forward for consideration among the "convertable DEs" at any level of the draft.
Hunter remains a possible late round flier if nothing better presents itself, but he won't last that long, in all probability.
True Outside Linebackers:
Dante Fowler: Probably the most impressive LB prospect in this draft from a production standpoint but his measurables at the Indy Combines were less than overwhelmingly impressive. Could this be a college stud who fails to make the next step at the NFL level?
Vic Beasley: One trick pony with zero cover skills. Highly valued one trick however.
Eli Harold: Raw as sushi but so versatile this kid could also play TE, RB, QB, WR, or DE for any NFL team. Unstoppable motor in a scarily almost obsessive personality driven to excel.
Davis Tull: High upside but massive injury history baggage. Late round or UDFA prospect.
4 prospects, that's the extent of the 2015 OLB class 3-4 pass rushers, out of a class of 240.
Of the 7 prospects from the convertable DE and OLB ranks, the 2 that stand out as value picks are "Bud" Dupree and Eli Harold.
Looping back to the original dilemma, should the Jets spend their initial picks, (#6 & #37) on a WR & an OLB - or should they be looking at depth elsewhere with an eye toward the future in the secondary and along the OL?
Given the strengths and weaknesses of the 2015 class as a whole, there really isn't much question what the Jets should do here, just a question of in which order they should do it.
HYATT™'s best advice is to go with the pass rusher in Rd 1 and nab one of the top talents at WR in Rd 2, but equally wise would be to grab Dupree at #6, return to the position and draft Eli Harold at #37, and STILL have a very high likelihood of being able to draft a big possession receiver cum Tight End like Darren Waller in Rd 3 at #70.
Alternatively, should the opportunity present itself, the Jets might trade back just a little bit and still have a very good chance to draft Dupree somewhere in the middle of Rd 1.
Dupree is mocked to go anywhere from #13 to #19 in this draft, & Eli Harold right around the Jets #37 pick.
Trading back could net the Jets one more pick in the 2nd or early 3rd round, in time to collect one of the better WR prospects or a highly ranked OL player.
(Fuller details, with HYATT™ opinions)
Rd 1-#6 (6th): DE Alvin "Bud" Dupree
Rd 2-#37 (5th): OLB Eli Harold
Rd 3-#70 (6th): WR/TE Darren Waller
(3) Rd 3 C-Picks (#97-#99) awarded to NE#1, KC#1, & CIN#1
Rd 4-#:104 (5th): QB Sean Mannion
(5) Rd 4 C-Picks (#132-#136) awarded to SF#1, DEN#1, SEA#1, CIN#2, & BAL#1
Rd 5-#142 (6th): --> CHI, for WR Brandon Marshall in 2015, but get CHI's Rd 7-#224 (7th) pick in return.
(7) Rd 5 C-Picks (#169-#175) awarded to CAR#1, SEA#2, BAL#2, KC#2, KC#3, HOU#1, & BAL#3.
Rd 6-#180 (5th): --> SEA, for WR Percy Harvin in 2014.
(10) Rd 6 C-Picks (#208-#217) awarded to DEN#2, SEA#3, GB#1, HOU#2, GB#2, CAR#2, SEA#4, St.L#1, HOU#3, & KC#4.
Rd 7-#223 (6th): QB Brandon Bridge
Rd 7-#224 (7th): --> from CHI, Brandon Marshall trade.
OG Miles Dieffenbach /RT Sean Hickey /OT Andrew Donnal /C Max Garcia
(7) Rd 7 C-Picks (#250-#256) awarded to DEN#3, DEN#4, PIT#1, NE#2, SF#2, IND#1, & AZ#1.