It's hard to believe that not even two years ago, the Jets were one of the hottest teams in the NFL.
They were coming off a 10-6 season (10-7 counting the playoffs) that included a win over the hated New England Patriots, a young, winning coach, and the ceiling seemed as if it couldn't be higher.
People were even predicting a deep playoff run. These beliefs were reinforced by the offseason aquisition of Thomas Jones.
Then came the 2007-2008 season, and everything came crashing down.
The weak arm of Chad Pennington was blatantly exposed. Last year's No. 4 overall pick, D'Brickishaw Ferguson, did not become the force at left tackle everyone expected him to be. Thomas Jones did not provide the depth at halfback they were sorely lacking during the previous season. Kellen Clemens did not appear to be the future star many Crazy Jets fans would have you believe.
And Mangini was drawing more 'Man-gina' nicknames than 'Man-genius'.
So that brings us to the 2008 NFL Draft. With Radio City Music Hall crowded with Jets fans, it was going to be crazy. The fans were generally hoping for Darren Mcfadden, the highly-touted halfback out of Arkansas.
Unfortunately, the Raiders killed that hope when they took Mcfadden at No. 4. The Jets took Vernon Gholston, the man from Ohio State who will probably play OLB in the Jets' 3-4.
While many people have pegged him as a potential bust, I feel he can potentially be dominant.
The Jets then traded up to No. 30 to pick Dustin Keller, the tight end out of Purdue. The main reason for this pick is for Keller to potentially replace TE Chris Baker, who is currently in a contract dispute. Keller plays a similar style to Dallas Clark of the Colts. That seems to be the role the Jets have envisioned for him.
The Jets rounded out their picks with CB Dwight Lowery, who gives them depth at one of their most shallow positions, QB Erik Ainge, who might be used to try to get Clemens and Pennington to work that much harder, WR Marcus Henry out of Kansas and T Nate Garner, who might help bolster a weak line.
Overall, I think the Jets' draft is very risky. Gholston has been reported as not having passion for the game, and Keller could go the way of dozens of other tight ends.
In the end, the 2008-2009 season will be a turning point for the franchise, whether it be good or bad remains to be seen.
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2 months ago
Good article, I agree with you that the Jets draft needed to be risky, and if it pays off I think they might contend for a wild card spot next year, and if it doesn't, they are going to the bottom of the divison, right next to the Miami Dolphins.
2 months ago
As much as the Jets get blasted each year in the draft, I have to admit that Gholston, in my opinion, is the real deal. With Calvin Johnson and Gholston on each side, the pass rush should be significantly bolstered this year. In a division where the Patriots reign supreme - this is a good pick. The only way to beat the Pats is to get pressure on them, and having these two pass rushers coming out of a 34 defense should be a good start.
about 1 month ago
I believe that the Jets did well with Gholston. He will be a force in the NFL as he was in college. You win with Defense, and after the defensive signings, the Jets wont be pushed around in the trenches. The Pick was a good choice as there were no great wideouts worth the pick. Keller is a converted WR, and as far as I am concerned, is a big, giant, wide out with decent speed. They can line him up anywhere on the field and he will give DBs problems. Clearly this was a better pick than rolling the dice on a suspect wide reciever. The other players, I dont know much about. But, I am certain on one thing, the Jets will be far more competitive and play with attitude next year, especially with a slimmed down 260 lbs Jenkins clogging the middle.
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