New York Jets: Identifying the Perfect Draft Replacement for Chris Johnson

The New York Jets have reloaded this offseason. 

New general manager Mike Maccagnan and the remodeled front office have acquired big names such as Darrelle Revis, Antonio Cromartie and Brandon Marshall, as well as a slew of other capable players, in an effort to catapult the Jets into playoff contention. 

However, even after New York's flurry of activity in free agency, the team lacks an explosive back who can open up the offense and complement Chris Ivory in the running game. 

Chris Johnson was supposed to be that man. But after just one largely disappointing season in green and white, New York decided to cut strings with the former rushing champion. 

Johnson won't be missed, but he needs to be replaced accordingly. 

There weren't many solid replacements at the beginning of the new league year, and the well has dried up considerably since then. 

These days, the two best running backs available are oft-injured Ahmad Bradshaw and Stevan Ridley. 

And even though Gang Green has shown interest in Ridley, according to Seth Walder and Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News, he is hardly the man for the job. 

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Ridley isn't exactly a burner, and he has dealt with fumbling and injury issues throughout his professional career. 

If the Jets want a true speed back who can add an extra dimension to the offense, they need to look ahead to the draft. 

Unlike a year ago, New York doesn't have many selections in the draft. In fact, it only has six picks to fill the holes on the current roster. 

Running back may not be at the top of the list in terms of needs, but it is pretty damn close.

Chris Ivory and Bilal Powell can't carry the running game on their own. They need some help. 

Jeremy Langford out of Michigan State would be the perfect fit for New York's offense. 

Langford, a projected second- or third-round selection, has all the makings of a terrific player in the NFL. 

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Langford is strong back with good vision and a ferocious running style. He has the speed to explode through holes (4.42 40 time) and power to carry would-be tacklers downfield for extra yardage. 

What makes Langford an ideal pick for the Jets is his ability in the passing game. 

The 23-year-old is a tremendous in pass protection, and he can also get out of the backfield and make plays in the screen game.

To put it simply, Langford is one of the more complete backs in this year's draft class, and he could end up being a steal for Gang Green. 

The former Spartans star is also far from an unproven commodity. He enjoyed tremendous success in his four-year career at East Lansing. 

Langford ran for nearly 3,000 yards and 40 touchdowns in his junior and senior seasons. Although he didn't receive the hype of fellow Big Ten backs Ameer Abdullah and Melvin Gordon, Langford was among the most productive offensive players in the conference. 

Langford has the ability to outperform his draft position and emerge as a strong No. 1 back at the NFL level, especially in an offense that can move the ball in other ways. 

The Michigan native is everything the Jets could want from a running back prospect, and they probably won't even have to use a top-50 selection in order to get him. 

If New York is smart, Jeremy Langford will be wearing green and white once again in 2015—this time for the Jets.