Draft – – Conferring Football 🏈

In Joe We Trust!

Jets GM strikes gold in what could be a franchise (and legacy) altering draft.

June 4, 2022 | Nick Frangopoulos

When Joe Douglas arrived at 1 Jets Drive in 2019, fans of Gang Green were beyond elated to land the former Ravens, Bears, and Eagles scout. How could they not be? Joe was coming fresh off a Super Bowl win with Philadelphia as their VP of player personnel, was highly thought within league circles, having started his career by learning under one of the best minds in Ozzie Newsome, and the hire was considered by many to be the best hire the Jets have made since Bill Parcells. The Jets looked primed to finally end the “Same Old Jets” narrative that has plagued the team for so many years.

Fast forward to 2022.

After stripping down the roster left to him by former Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan in 2019, the Jets are coming off 2 seasons where they finished a combined 6-27, a once promising 2020 draft is looking shaky, and the book is still open on the 2021 class which will, undoubtedly, be judged heavily on the selection of quarterback Zach Wilson, especially after Douglas made the decision to jettison the 2018 3rd overall pick in Sam Darnold. It’s safe to say that the pressure is now on for Joe Douglas to mold this team into what he wants it to be and turn this thing around. Last year was the first step in doing so when he finally was able to choose his own head coach in Robert Saleh, along with his own franchise QB, and this draft was another chance for him to infuse the Jets with some young and exciting talent at key positions. Armed with a treasure trove of draft picks from the Jamal Adams and Sam Darnold trades, Douglas looked to make a large splash during draft weekend. What he managed to do was create a tidal wave.

After the board went Travon Walker (JAX), Aiden Hutchinson (DET), and Derek Stingley Jr. (HOU), the Jets decided to add a little flavor to their secondary, selecting Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner at 4th overall. Gardner was, arguably, the best the best defensive back in this year’s draft class, and maybe the entire nation, after he finished his 3 year career at Cincinnati without giving up a single touchdown, tallying 9 interceptions and 16 passes defended along the way. For a defense that allowed almost 30 points and 398 yards per game to opposing offenses, this seemed like a good way to try and rectify that issue. Especially when the Jets will now be facing Tyreek Hill twice a year, on top of Stefon Diggs.

The Jets first selection at #4 may have been the higher draft slot, but their second pick at 10th overall was the more interesting one and had far more eyes on it. This was due to the rumors that the team was willing to pony this pick up for disgruntled star wide receiver Deebo Samuel, of the San Francisco 49ers, in the days leading up to the draft. Ultimately, the price tag was too rich for the Jets and Joe Douglas decided to add a young playmaking wide receiver in Garrett Wilson to Zach Wilson’s arsenal. With his smooth route running, excellent speed, and off-the-charts athleticism, the Jets gave their franchise quarterback another weapon that could grow alongside him, after they selected Elijah Moore, another dynamic wideout, last year in the 2nd round.

With those two selections, the Jets draft was already off to a hot start. With two 2nd rounders primed for use on Friday during the second round, you would think that the Jets brass was ready to hit the hay and prep for the next day, right? Wrong. Douglas immediately got to work on trying to find a trade partner once it became abundantly clear that their 2nd highest rated pass rusher, Jermaine Johnson II, was falling. 16 picks later, Joe and co. were finally back on the clock, trading picks 35, 69, 163 for picks 26 and 101, and they used that 26th pick to get their guy. Johnson II is long, strong, and relentless. He used all of those traits to notch 12.5 sacks last year at FSU and show out at the Reese’s Senior Bowl, where the Jets coaching staff got an extensive look and, reportedly, fell in love with him. This type of aggressive move was previously out-of-character for the Jets GM, but the idea of potentially drafting the first true EDGE rusher the Jets have had since John Abraham was too tantalizing.

That would mark the end of the first round, but there was plenty more to come from Joe Douglas and company. It didn’t take long for round 2 to get off to fast start, especially as it pertains to the Jets. Word on the street going into the day was that New York was targeting Iowa State running back Breece Hall. It was even reported that they had tried to trade back into the first round a second time the night prior in order to grab him. However, they weren’t alone. As the clock ticked, rumors were swirling that the Houston Texans were all but guaranteed to be taking him if he fell to them. However, Joe Douglas decided he wasn’t going to let that happen. He swapped picks with the Giants, who held pick 36 (the Jets had 38) and sent a 5th rounder (146) to move up to snag Hall, who was, widely, viewed as the best from this year’s class, coming off back-to-back seasons of more than 1,400 rushing yards. Over the course of three years at Iowa State, Hall also managed to notch 50 touchdowns on the ground. Adding that type of explosive talent to the Jets rushing attack should help out the offense immensely, especially when you figure that he will be sharing the backfield with the talented Michael Carter, who is coming off a very promising rookie campaign.

With one pick remaining in day two, the Jets would look to continue to add to their offense, selecting another player they got up close and personal with at the Senior Bowl, Ohio State tight end Jeremy Ruckert. Ruckert, who grew up a huge Jets fan, is a tantalizing, yet raw, prospect. Over the course of 4 seasons with the Buckeyes, his role in the passing game slowly increased each year, but every single time he stepped on the field it seemed like he made a big catch or play to spark something for the offense. The Jets are hoping that with some developing and more opportunities for Jeremy to show what he can do in the passing game, they can finally add a young, home-grown, dynamic tight end to their list of offensive weapons, something they really haven’t had since Dustin Keller.

*Source(s): @jeremy_ruckert01 on Instagram.*

With 2 days in the books, a ton of wheelin’ and dealin’, the Jets only had 2 picks remaining (111 and 117) going into day three. The first of those would be used to add another mountain to the offensive line, Louisiana tackle, Max Mitchell (6’6 – 307lbs). While he didn’t play against top tier competition, a lot of Mitchell’s film pops out at you, particularly when he is in pass protection, as he only gave up three sacks over the course of his collegiate career. He has pretty impressive feet, uses his hands very well, and recover if he is initially knocked back from a bill rush. He doesn’t possess elite athleticism, however, he has been working on snapping the ball and can play all over the line, so there is some potential there for him to develop into a very good versatile back-up, or even starter, on the o-line.

And then there was one. The last selection of the 2022 New York Jets draft class went back to the defensive side of the ball when Joe Douglas selected defensive end, Micheal Clemons. Clemons was a polarizing prospect entering the draft, as he was incredibly talented player with good speed, agility, power, length and pass-rushing moves. However in September 2021, he was arrested for multiple charges including unlawful carrying of a weapon, failure to identify/giving false information, less than two ounces of marijuana possession and driving with an invalid license. This, along with his age (24 years old) and a knee injury from 2020, caused many teams to take him off their board entirely. The Jets decided he was worth a chance though, as his talent is certainly exciting, and took him with their last pick.

As with any draft class, time will tell if Joe Douglas nailed this draft as much as the pundits think he did. That being said, you would be hard pressed to find a Jets fan who wasn’t beaming with excitement at the end of the draft. It may not have been smooth sailing at first, but in year 4 as GM, Joe Douglas is finally giving Jets fans reasons to feel like he really is the man to lead this ship to treasure.

The 2021 NFL Draft – The Quarterbacks. How will they fare & where will they go?

April 26, 2021 | Nick Frangopoulos

As the 2021 NFL draft looms, I figured now would be the perfect time to give my final write-ups on the talented signal callers available in this years class. At this point, all the tape has been watched, the arguments for each guy have been debated ad nauseam, so decisions are ready to be made that will shape the immediate and, more importantly, long-term futures of numerous NFL teams. Alongside these write-ups, I will also be including which teams I believe these particular players will end up playing for.

• Trevor Lawrence | QB | Clemson – Lawrence is a player that needs no introduction. The kid widely referred to as “Sunshine” by his teammates for his long hair and looks that closely resemble a character with the same nickname in the 2000 football film “Remember The Titans” was, seemingly, born to play the position of quarterback, and has been in the spotlight since he was winning state championships at Cartersville High School and competing in the Elite 11 quarterback competition. He has ideal size, standing at 6 foot 5 5/8 inches, while weighing in at 213 pounds, and boasting a 10-inch hand size, so there isn’t much left to complain about when it comes to Trevor’s measurable features. There isn’t much to bemoan about his golden right arm either. Lawrence throws the short and intermediate ball better than any prospect I have seen in all my years watching football. While he could stand to improve his deep ball passing just a bit, he already showed the ability to do exactly that this past college football season, making marked improvement in that particular area of his game from his Freshman and Sophomore seasons. While Trevor seemingly has it all going on for him physically, he also has shown that he has a high level football IQ and that transitioning to the pro game should be no issue for him. Clemson gave Lawrence a pretty decent level of control at the line of scrimmage, and he handled it with ease, constantly showing off the ability to diagnose pre-snap blitzes, read coverages, and call audibles. Post-snap, he was just as brilliant, routinely finding the opposing secondary’s weak spot and attacking it with laser accurate precision. Don’t forget to account for his legs as well. He boasts deceptive athleticism for someone who plays the quarterback position and the threat to run should always be accounted for when game planning for him.

Ultimately, Trevor Lawrence is truly, in my eyes, the cleanest prospect to come out of college since Andrew Luck in 2012. His unique physical attributes and skill set make him the perfect prototypical quarterback prospect for where the NFL is going at the position.

NFL comparison: The best case scenario? John Elway with the stature of Peyton Manning. Worst case? I don’t believe his floor is lower than, say, a Justin Herbert-like player.

NFL draft prediction: 1st overall pick, Jacksonville Jaguars.

• Zach Wilson | QB | BYU – Anyone who watched college football closely this year will be able to tell you that there was, arguably, no player even close to as electric at the quarterback position as Zach Wilson. Highlight play after highlight play helped shine the national spotlight on the former 3 star recruit and, boy, did he ever put on a show. From a physical standpoint, Zach measures in at just under 6’3 (6 foot 2 1/8 inches) and weighs in at 214lbs so, with those numbers, he is not the physical freak of this quarterback class, especially when compared to guys like Trevor Lawrence or Trey Lance. One look at his frame will tell you that. However, this is an area where he can improve, especially when he is introduced to an NFL strength and conditioning program to go along with an NFL health and nutrition program. I always think back to Mark Sanchez when evaluating a players body type, as he was another guy who possessed the height, but needed to fill out his frame a bit to withstand hits in the NFL. By the time Sanchez had hit his 3rd season, he looked like a very different player in terms of physical build, so I have no doubts that Zach can do the same. He’ll have to, as he already has somewhat of an injury history, including a torn labrum in each of his shoulders. Another concern many people have with him is the level of competition that he faced. While I can understand some of the concerns, I think what gets lost in translation a bit is that Wilson is also, for the most part, playing with guys who, quite frankly, wouldn’t be starting at any other school as well. With those same players he was able to compile incredible statistics and notch signature wins against much better teams like Tennessee or USC with such a supporting cast during his 3 year tenure as BYUs starter. This transitions beautifully into the part of the article that explains just why it is Zach has found all this success. Where Wilson really shines is his intelligence and his play making abilities on the field. He shows an advanced ability to go through his progressions, dissect coverages, manipulate DBs with his eyes, use his athletic talents to pick up yards on the ground or make off-platform throws inside and outside of the pocket. He also possesses upper level arm talent and a lightning quick release that reminds me quite a bit of guys like Aaron Rodgers or Tony Romo. He could stand to improve his footwork a little bit, but it’s nothing too concerning. Footwork is, typically, the easiest thing to coach into a quarterback and based on film from his off-season workouts, as well as his pro day, Wilson has made cleaning that part of his mechanics up a priority.

My clear-cut QB2 in this years class, Zach Wilson is a true boom or bust prospect. He is not nearly as “safe” as someone like Trevor Lawrence. However, the upside is a truly elite talent at the quarterback position. With the right refinement and coaching, he has the potential to be a special player in this league. The argument can even be made that his ceiling is the highest out of anyone in this class, Lawrence included.

NFL comparison: If Zach can reach his full potential, those Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes, and Tony Romo comparisons are not far off at all. He has that type of ability. If he falters, I think you’re looking at a player who closely resembles Alex Smith. No, I don’t mean the incredibly efficient QB that managed to salvage his career and reinvent himself either. I mean the guy that struggled mightily his first few years in the league and needed to be rebuilt from the ground up in order reach “game manager” levels of production.

NFL draft prediction: 2nd overall pick, New York Jets.

• Justin Fields | QB | Ohio State – Like Lawrence, Justin Fields spent his entire career, from high school up until now, under bright lights and the national media. While this has it’s benefits in terms of exposure, Justin is finding out that sometimes, being under the microscope does more harm than good. The former Buckeye has been under intense scrutiny the last few months and, personally, I find most of it to be incredibly unfair nitpicking of a quarterback prospect who would, in my opinion, challenge every other player in this class, not named Trevor Lawrence, for the right to be selected 1st overall. Starting with the measurable numbers, he possesses more than enough size at 6 foot 2 3/4 inches and 227 pounds. More impressively, he was able to run a blazing fast 4.44 40-yard dash at this size, making him, arguably, the most explosive and athletic quarterback in this class. If you’re a defensive coach game planning for him, you better account for his legs. In the passing game, Fields possesses fantastic arm strength and great accuracy in the short, intermediate, and deep levels. In fact, he might possess the best deep ball accuracy and deep ball placement of any of the 5 projected 1st round quarterbacks, giving him a unique advantage over all those other players in an area the NFL game is moving towards. At this point, you might be asking yourself “So what’s the catch; what are his issues?” and that is where this write-up takes a turn. Fields, to no fault of his own, played for one of the best all-around teams in college football, in a system that is seemingly geared towards taking as much responsibility off the shoulders of it’s quarterback as possible, and it has made him a very polarizing player. When your 1st read is open on almost every single play, something Fields himself has admitted to being the case in many a situation, and your offensive line is so good that you can hold the ball longer than 3 seconds when getting blitzed, it makes it very difficult to determine how advanced a quarterback is in the mental aspect of the game along with how he will handle the skill gap of the NFL when he doesn’t have the best players on the field at every single position. This isn’t to say that Fields can’t go through progressions, make complex reads, or handle adversity. We have seen him do it. He just hasn’t been asked to do it a lot, and that, along with his performances against higher competition (Northwestern 2020, Indiana 2020, etc.) has caused there to be a certain level of concern with him.

I have Fields as my QB3, but it’s closer to QB2b. Like Zach Wilson, Justin Fields is a boom or bust prospect with sky-high potential, especially with his athletic ability. However, I personally believe that he would be best suited going to a team like San Francisco, Atlanta, or New England, where he can sit behind an established veteran quarterback for one year and let the game slow down for him.

NFL comparison: I think at his absolute best, I believe Justin will be a hybrid of Deshaun Watson and Ben Roethlisberger. Donovan McNabb, Russell Wilson, or Dak Prescott are three other comparisons I’ve seen thrown out there and, personally, I think those are good too. At his worst, I see a guy who will consistently flash talent, particularly his athletic abilities, but who never takes that next step. Some names I can think of are Colin Kaepernick, current day Cam Newton, and the Harbaugh-era Alex Smith. Yes sticklers, I am aware that using Smith in back-to-back comparisons is a little…boring. However, Smith is a guy who had two unique highs and lows, that happen to apply to 2 of these prospects “worst case” scenarios, who happen to compare well to each other more than most people realize, so it’s not too unconventional.

NFL draft prediction: 4th overall pick, Atlanta Falcons.

• Trey Lance | QB | North Dakota State University – Every draft class, a prospect comes along with every single physical tool you could possibly imagine if you were forced to draw up the perfect QB. This year is no different and that prospect is NDSU’s very own Trey Lance. Lance stands tall at 6 foot 3 7/8 inches, and is a rock solid 224lbs. He has a cannon for an arm, great speed and athletic ability for his size, played in a pro-style system that included complicated reads, and has good mechanics. “So what gives Nick? We just went through this with Justin Fields. What is the problem here?” you might say. Well, much like everything else in the last year and change, the college football world was heavily rocked by COVID-19. Entering this year as my QB2, Lance was hurt more by the epidemic as any player I can think of. NDSU only scheduled one game in the fall due to the pandemic, which served as the only “showcase” game for Lance and many of the other NFL caliber prospects on their roster, as the rest of their season would be played this spring and these aforementioned players would have had to declare for the NFL draft well before then. This means that Trey has not played in an organized football game since October 3rd, 2020. If he already had 3 established seasons under his belt, this wouldn’t be too much of an issue. However, before the showcase, Lance had only 16 starts under his belt. In those starts he excelled, throwing for 2,786 yards and 28 touchdowns on 287 attempts while completing 66.9% of his passes and tossing zero, yes zero, interceptions. Lance also flashed as a runner, compiling 1,100 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground, while averaging a whopping 6.5 yards per carry. It was as dominant of a season as anyone could have and Lance seemed destined for greatness. However, his stock would take an abrupt turn because in his one chance to show off, he was incredibly inconsistent and many scouts were left feeling as if maybe he was leaving school too early. Fast forward to today and his stock seems to be on the rise once again after not one, but two great pro days.

Trey Lance needs time. There is no sugar coating it. He is, without a doubt, the rawest quarterback in this group of guys, and if he forced to start right away, it might get really messy, really fast. Like Justin Fields, he is best suited going to a team with a guy already in place that he can sit behind for a year, maybe two, and develop. Some teams that immediately come to mind in terms of fit are San Francisco, Atlanta, New England, and Washington.

NFL comparison: This one might be the easiest for me. When I watch Lance, I see a guy who plays like, and can be like, the 2015 MVP Cam Newton or the 2020 version of Josh Allen. A dynamic player, who is an absolute freak of nature with all the dominant physical tools at his disposal. That being said, any team who rushes his development can expect to get a player closer to someone like Vince Young than MVP winners and candidates.

NFL draft prediction: 3rd overall pick, San Francisco 49ers.

Source: @ryanawdesign/@swapkingdom on Instagram.

• Mac Jones | QB | Alabama – Here we are folks. The end of the show. We’ll be wrapping up with a guy who seemingly went from overrated, to underrated, back to overrated in the eyes of the media, analysts, and fans. I’m, of course, talking about Mac Jones, the latest signal caller from Alabama. With an absolute abundance of weapons at his disposal, Jones took the Crimson Tide’s offense to new heights and a National Championship, ultimately winning the title against Justin Fields’s Ohio State Buckeyes. Therein lies the big issue with Mac and every other quarterback that has come out of Tuscaloosa recently. How much of it is him? Jones is not particularly tall or athletic, coming in at 6 foot 1 4/8 inches, 230 pounds, with a pedestrian 4.72 second 40-yard dash. He can move within the pocket and roll out well, but isn’t really a threat to run in the open field. His arm talent is a little bit better than “ok”, but nothing to write home about. He is a very accurate passer who has pretty good ball placement, but there was, arguably, no team in college football more stacked than Alabama. So Mac simply operates the offense. He doesn’t “create” like the other quarterbacks in this class. Ten years ago that wouldn’t be a knock on anyone. However, a lot has changed in the last decade and the NFL has shifted more towards guys who can do more at the most important position in football.

I think the consensus opinion, which I also share, is that Mac Jones is a quarterback who is limited in what he can do. He’s not going to rush for 50 yards per game while throwing for 250. He is a classic drop back passer who will, at worst, manage the game for you. This makes him a relatively safe prospect…so long as you aren’t picking him in the top 15.

NFL comparison: If Mac Jones managed to reach his full potential, Matt Ryan or Chad Pennington would be great comparisons for him. When I try and come up with a “doomsday” scenario for him, I keep coming back to another former Alabama quarterback. AJ McCarron. I think he’ll end up being something in between that and carve out a decent career for himself, but I don’t know if he ever lives up to his draft slot, given how high he is being projected by other outlets.

NFL draft prediction: 15th overall pick, New England Patriots.