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New article by Peter Cordi. One of our new writers that I hope sticks around for the long haul. Comment here with your thoughts!
http://nyjetsfanatics.com/content.p...-Jets’-top-5-Potential-First-Round-Selections
Amari Cooper
WR
6’1”
205 lbs
Alabama
Amari Cooper is a can’t-miss prospect with great size and college success. He is coming off one of, if not THE best statistical seasons for any wide receiver in NCAA history. Cooper can run the 40-yard dash at an unofficial 4.42 seconds, which makes him one of the faster wide receiver prospects, but nothing too special speed-wise. His quickness, agility, and elusiveness in space are his best assets as a receiver. Amari Cooper is great at finding the ball in the air and catching poorly thrown passes- which is why he would be a great fit for the Jets, who can’t find any quarterback luck. Cooper is on-and-off with his routes, but consistently gets open for long touchdowns down the field. He can score from anywhere on the field, due to his quickness, elusiveness, and route running. His only problem is he doesn’t have the best hands. While he makes spectacular catches, he often misses as well- too often. His upside far outweighs his downside so as long as he can stay healthy, the future looks bright for Amari Cooper. The Jets might need to trade up to get him, unless he underperforms at the combine and/or at his pro day. The Jets are one elite wide receiver away from having a good offense, because with Decker, Cooper, Harvin, Kerely, and Amaro, even Geno Smith could put up top-15 numbers.
Brandon Scheriff
OT
6’5”
315 lbs
Iowa
Brandon Scheriff is another one of those prospects that you just can’t visualize faceplanting at the professional level. He is elite at both run and pass blocking, with run blocking being his specialty. He is one of the strongest prospects in the 2015 draft, especially in upper body. This strength is what helps him absolutely dominate defenders. Another strength Scheriff has is good instincts- if he is responsible for blocking two pass-rushers, he has the sixth sense to know who to pick off. His only downside his joint tightness, which limits his effectiveness against speed rushers. As an offensive tackle, he will need to block many speed rushers. Many experts and analysts think Scheriff should become a guard at the professional level due to this, so he won’t have to guard the speed rushers. His instincts help him a lot on the outside, but the question is: against professional (faster, stronger, smarter) pass rushers, will his instincts be enough to make him exceptional at pass blocking, or will he need to move inside to offensive guard? Once again, the good outweighs the bad. Plus, the Jets are weak at right tackle and both guard positions, so they can use all the help they can get. The Jets struggled to protect their quarterbacks this year, leading to injuries to both Geno Smith and Michael Vick. They were also very inconsistent with their run blocking. The Jets need what Scheriff brings to the table.
Randy Gregory
DE(4-3)/OLB(3-4)
6’5”
255 lbs
Nebraska
Randy Gregory is an absolute beast- an elite pass rusher and run stopper. Rex Ryan used a 3-4 defense, which would make Gregory an outside linebacker, a position the Jets need to upgrade. Until the Jets hire a new head coach, there is no telling which scheme the Jets will use, however it would be wise to hire a coach specializing in 3-4 because the front 7 has already been handpicked for a 3-4 scheme. Gregory is fast, quick, and strong- drawing comparisons to Jadeveon Clowney. While the Jets don’t lack a good pass rush, adding Gregory to the mix would make them elite- especially if the Jets sign good cornerbacks. The Jets couldn’t be as aggressive blitzing this year due to their lack of talent in the secondary- they needed to play conservatively. Randy Gregory is that hard-hitting player that coaches love to have on their team because when you have 4 or 5 hard-hitting players, it gets contagious. If the Jets hire a head coach who like the 4-3, they could put him on the left side with Mohammed Wilkerson as a defensive tackle, while Damon Harrison mans the right tackle position. The Jets do have Kendrick Ellis at defensive tackle, however, but Gregory’s potential outweighs that of Ellis’s by far. Drafting Randy Gregory would work out best for the Jets in a 3-4 situation, though.
Vic Beasely
OLB
6’3”
235 lbs
Clemson
Vic Beasely is one of the best pass rushers and run stoppers in the NCAA, notching 12 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and 21.5 tackles for a loss this year, while last year he had 13 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, and 23 tackles for a loss! His consistency tells you that he is ready for the pros. He is quick and displays excellent use of hands to get past offensive tackles to get to his target. He gets to the quarterback very quickly because he has amazing first-step speed, while he uses his strength to plow through his defender, or his finesse to get around him. Beasely is a great fit for the Jets as they are in the market for an outside linebacker, they are among the best at stopping the run, and their pass rush could use a little boost to become elite. This one piece to the puzzle nearly solves it for the Jets’ front 7. Clemson had the best defense in the FBS, with great help from Vic Beasely. The Jets can expect similar results if they use the sixth pick in the 2015 NFL draft on him.
Jameis Winston
QB
6’3”
228 lbs
Florida State
Jameis Winston is a very talented quarterback and baseball pitcher, but he gets a lot of negative media attention. A Google Images search of him displays hundreds of memes about his run-ins with the law. In a huge-market city like New York, on a team the media (and the general public) loves to hate, a distraction like Winston wouldn’t be the brightest idea. He is a very smart young man, despite what the public thinks of him, but he often makes dumb decisions. He is not nearly as bad as Johnny Manziel in this respect, however these instances should be taken seriously. The leader of an NFL team should be mature, and not stand on top of a table screaming dirty language. Remember, though, that wasn’t out of perversion- what he said was started by an internet sensation named “Fred” and has since taken off amongst the young people of the world. It was, however, immature, and like I said- there is no place for immaturity if you are planning to lead an NFL team. The good about Winston is his accurate passing, ability to avoid sacks, pocket passing ability, and his football IQ. He was the best quarterback in the league as a freshman, but saw a big drop off in production as a sophomore including 8 more interceptions and 12 less touchdowns. After losing in the Rose Bowl to Marcus Mariota’s Oregon Ducks, Winston said that he wants to focus on baseball, not the NFL draft. He has until January 15th to declare. If he declares and is on the board at the sixth pick, the Jets should consider taking him because Geno Smith played terribly this year, besides week 17, and the new coach and general manager might want their own quarterback to build around and that fits their scheme.
Honorable mentions:
Dante Fowler Jr.
OLB(3-4)/DE(4-3)
6’2”
261 lbs
Florida
Dante Fowler Jr. is a man who’s draft stock may rise by the time the draft comes around. He is quick and utilizes the bull rush. He is more of a run stopper than a pass rusher, but is good at both. His biggest knock is his inconsistency, which is why I think he should have stayed in college longer, but since he already declared there is no turning back now.
Trae Waynes
CB
6’1”
185 lbs
Michigan State
Trae Waynes is fast and very good in coverage, using his excellent size to gain leverage over his man. The problem with him is his toughness and physicality- the receiver he covers is able to push him around too much, which limits his ability to press. He is excellent in run support, though, so he can be used primarily as a left corner. If Waynes bulks up a bit, he can be an elite NFL cornerback.
Of the top-5 prospects the Jets can potentially select, Vic Beasely is my favorite, as he is just too much for most offensive linemen to handle with his excellent combination of size, speed, and strength. Amari Cooper is a close second because it would be nice to see the Jets have a dangerous aerial attack, however defense wins championships. Winston is my least favorite of the five, as I only included him because of the Jets’ quarterback struggles. Possibly during the several-month wait for the 2015 NFL draft, Winston’s draft stock will rise, but I don’t see that happening. He is best off waiting another year to declare for the draft. The Jets are better off drafting UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley if he is still available in the second round. When reading about the Jets and their draft interests, keep these players in mind because there is a good chance the Jets decide to pick one of these players.
http://nyjetsfanatics.com/content.p...-Jets’-top-5-Potential-First-Round-Selections