NFL Draft 2011: 10 Players the New York Jets May Select as Mark Sanchez's Backup
The NFL Draft is only a little over two weeks away, and teams are starting to really focus on the holes that must be filled on their roster.
It is well known that the New York Jets biggest hole is on the defensive line, where they could really use either an end or a nose tackle.
The Jets also have assorted other positions that need to be filled including safety, wide receiver and defensive back.
One position that there has been little talk about—but the Jets may go after late in the draft—is quarterback.
While the Jets have Mark Sanchez as their quarterback for the future, behind him is a very old veteran in Mark Brunell and maybe Kellen Clemens depending on free agency.
With this in mind the Jets could very well add a quarterback at the back end in the draft in case Sanchez were to go down with an injury as he did last year.
The following slide show includes 10 candidates the Jets could select as a back-up quarterback late in the draft.
As always, feel free to comment below.
Greg McElroy- Alabama
1 of 10
The earliest I see the Jets going after a quarterback would be in the fifth round, and at that point Greg McElroy should be the best prospect left.
McElroy's greatest strength is his unmatched intelligence, a trait that is especially crucial for a quarterback. McElroy was actually an Academic All-American and a finalist for the Rhodes Scholarship.
Besides McElroy's intelligence he is actually a very talented quarterback and finished last year with 20 touchdowns and only five interceptions.
The one big question surrounding McElroy is how he will bounce back from a hand injury he suffered during the senior bowl.
If the Jets don't find another prospect in the fifth round that they feel is worth their selection, they may call McElroy's name.
Tyrod Taylor- Virginia Tech
2 of 10
Tyrod Taylor is very similar to Cam Newton in that he was a great college quarterback but scouts don't know if his speed will hold up in the NFL.
Taylor threw 24 touchdowns to only five interceptions last season with the Hokies, and also ran for another five on 659 rushing yards.
If the Jets have to let Brad Smith go because of free agency Tyrod Taylor could be a solid replacement to run the wildcat.
Taylor seems like the most likely quarterback for the Jets to go after because of how different his style is from Sanchez and because of that he would compliment Sanchez well.
Taylor Potts- Texas Tech
3 of 10
Texas Tech is a school that has put out quarterbacks with great stats, but whose game does not transfer at all to the NFL.Taylor Potts hopes that he breaks that trend.
Potts has a great arm, and threw 35 touchdowns to only 10 interceptions last season.
While Potts arm can not be questioned, his pocket awareness can be as he was sacked 17 times last season.
Interestingly enough Potts has changed from a deep ball thrower to a quarterback who looks more for the check down, and his stats have shown improvement.
In the seventh round Potts may be worth taking a chance on for the Jets.
.png?w=256)
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
T.J. Yates- North Carolina
4 of 10
T.J. Yates is another player who the Jets could go after to end the draft.
Yates had a solid season at North Carolina, where he threw 19 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Yates also ran for another three touchdowns although his longest rush of the year was only 24 yards.
Yates is likely one of the best quarterbacks to ever come out of the Tar Heels program, where he set 37 school records. In 2010, he became the first player at North Carolina to throw for more than 3,000 yards (3,418).
Yates impressed most of the scouts that were in attendance at his pro day and the Jets could grab him with their final round pick.
Adam Weber- Minnesota
5 of 10
Adam Weber was very impressive at his pro day and may have helped himself into being drafted.
Like Yates, Weber set plenty of records at Minnesota, where he has been the starter for the past four seasons.
Weber may not have lead the Gophers to very many victories this past season—they lost nine in a row—but he still threw for 20 touchdowns and nine interceptions.
All four years that Weber was at Minnesota he threw for at least 2,000 yards. Weber may have also improved his pocket presence this past season, as he was sacked only 17 times as opposed to 38 times the year before.
Josh Portis- California University of Pennsylvania
6 of 10
Josh Portis could potentially be drafted in the final round, although there are some serious questions surrounding him.
Portis originally went to the University of Florida before transferring to the University of Maryland. Portis then transferred again to California University of Pennsylvania where he set plenty of school records.
Portis may actually be one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in this year's draft class, but he was caught cheating at the University of Maryland which brings up a lot of character issues.To add insult to injury Portis was charged with and reached a deal after he purchased items with a stolen credit card.
If the Jets can get over Portis's past, he could be a great replacement for the potential loss of Brad Smith.
Scott Tolzien- Wisconsin
7 of 10
If the Jets want to go with a safer option than Josh Portis, then Scott Tolzien may be the right choice.
Tolzien lead the Wisconsin Badgers to the Rose Bowl last season, which capped off a very successful past two years.
Tolzien showed some great improvement from 2010 to 2011. Although his pass attempts went down by about 60, he still threw for 16 touchdowns, the same as in 2009. Even more impressive is that he cut his interceptions from 11 to six.
Tolzien will go down as one of the most accurate passers in Wisconsin history, and could be worthy of the Jets pick in the seventh round.
Nathan Enderle- Idaho
8 of 10
A small school prospect who the Jets could possible draft is Nathan Enderle, who attended the University of Idaho.
Enderle finished his career at Idaho with over 10,000 passing yards, including a senior season in which he threw for 3,314.
Enderle was asked to throw the ball a lot more this season, with a jump of about 150 attempts.This may have caused Enderle to force the ball more as his touchdowns stayed the same at 22 but his interceptions went from nine to 16.
Enderle stands at 6'5" and has the arm to play quarterback in the NFL, but teams like the Jets have to wonder if he has the mind to play the game at such a fast level.
Jerrod Johnson- Texas A&M
9 of 10
Had Jerrod Johnson not hurt his throwing shoulder half way through the season he would be a sure pick, but now Johnson sits on the edge of the seventh round and going undrafted.
Johnson seems to have bounced back pretty well from the injury and has again shown the ability to throw like he did prior to the surgery.
Johnson had a great junior year at Texas A&M, where he threw for 30 touchdowns and 3,579 yards and also rushed for eight touchdowns and 506 yards.
Johnson is similar to a few other players on this list in that he would give the Jets something different than what Mark Sanchez does, but we will have to wait and see if the Jets like him enough to use a draft pick.
Jeff Van Camp- Florida Atlantic
10 of 10
One of the tallest quarterback prospects in the draft, at 6'6" Jeff Van Camp has the size to be a NFL quarterback.
Van Camp has an unorthodox way of throwing the ball in which he delivers it side-arm. This could be a problem in the NFL where defensive linemen constantly have their hands up.
Van Camp played for a Florida Atlantic team that won only four games last season, but he still managed to throw for 17 touchdowns and almost 2,500 yards.
Van Camp is the biggest stretch on this list for the Jets to go after, but if they are worried someone else may select him or sign him after the draft they could use their final pick on him.
.png?w=480)
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
