New York Jets: Analyzing Latest NFL Draft Rumors and Reports

Months of hype will come to a climax on Thursday as the 2015 NFL draft gets underway.

The New York Jets have been at the center of much of the predraft discussion, as holders of the No. 6 overall selection in the first round and one of the teams that is perceived to be in the running for one of the top quarterback prospects available.

That being said, perception isn't always reality, but neither are reports. With scouts putting out false information all the time to either improve the stock of prospects they want other teams to take, or diminish the stock of players they hope will be available, it can be hard—impossible, even—to separate fact from fiction.

We won't even try to take on that foolhardy endeavor, since we only know what we know. With that in mind, let's take a look around the web at some of the reports that have been swirling around the Jets' potential plans for the draft.

Jets Hosted Oregon QB Marcus Mariota on Predraft Visit

The Report (via Mike Huguenin of NFL.com's College Football 24/7):

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NFL Media's Albert Breer reports Mariota was in New Jersey for a visit April 2, five days after he had an on-campus workout for the Jets.

The Jets are one of three teams to work out Mariota privately and bring him in for a visit at the team facility. The other teams are the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tennessee Titans, who pick first and second in the draft. The St. Louis Rams and San Diego Chargers also worked out Mariota on campus.

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The Analysis

This should not come as much of a surprise; the Jets are considered one of the teams that is in the running for a top quarterback, and they've shown a lot of interest in Mariota by flying out to Eugene, Oregon, for his pro day and for a private workout.

That being said, as Huguenin reports, there are multiple teams that are in the mix for Marcus Mariota, including a couple of teams that are picking ahead of the Jets in the first round: the Buccaneers and the Titans. The three teams picking after the Titans at No. 2—the Jacksonville Jaguars, Oakland Raiders and Washington Redskins—are not considered to be in the market  for a quarterback. 

The No. 6 pick may not be good enough; if the Jets are all-in for Mariota, they may have to prove it by leapfrogging into the top five. If he is still available after the Titans pick, and if no team trades ahead of the Jets, Mariota could still be available outside the top five. 

Jets Will Not Be Hosting FSU QB Jameis Winston on Predraft Visit

The Report (via Dom Cosentino of NJ Advance Media):

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The Jets have arranged look-sees with at least five quarterbacks in the run-up to next week's draft. This includes Florida State's Jameis Winston, whose pro day they attended late last month. Winston just won't be coming to Florham Park for a pre-draft visit, as had been previously reported, multiple sources confirmed late Tuesday night.

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The Analysis

There is little to no discrepancy among online scouting portfolios that FSU quarterback Jameis Winston is the top quarterback prospect in the 2015 NFL draft class. The Jets are not naive to this, and they have been doing their diligence on Winston by attending his pro day.

As ESPN's Rich Cimini notes, the lack of a predraft visit does not indicate a lack of interest. Every year, teams draft players who they have not hosted for a visit. There have been enough opportunities to get familiar with Winston as a prospect, be it on tape, at the scouting combine or at FSU's pro day. The Jets may already have all the info they need on Winston.

In the long run, they may not need any of that info—Winston could be taken off the board by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the No. 1 overall spot, and if he's not, the Tennessee Titans could be waiting in the wings to snatch him off the board.

Jets Hosted 26 Players for Predraft Visits; 5 QBs, 6 Pass-Rushers

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

The Report (via Frank Cooney of NFLDraftScout.com):

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As the New York Jets prepare for the start of the NFL Draft on April 30, their player visits are telling. They indicate that the Jets are really interested in a quarterback not named Geno Smith, evidenced by six of their 26 visits, and one workout, being quarterbacks. That is as of Monday morning according to an unofficial list compiled by NFLDraftScout.com.

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The Analysis

One of the six quarterbacks Cooney lists, Jameis Winston, had his draft visit 86'd at the last minute, as noted in the previous slide. Even with "only" five quarterbacks in for visits, the Jets are showing their commitment to anyone besides Geno Smith finding a franchise quarterback for the first time since Joe Namath.

The other noteworthy position is the defensive end/outside linebacker spot. The Jets have been searching for a young, athletic, explosive edge pass-rusher for years, and with six prospects hosted for visits, it looks like they may finally get their man.

Those six prospects: Dante Fowler Jr. (Florida), Vic Beasley (Clemson), Alvin Dupree (Kentucky), Eli Harold (Virginia), Shane Ray (Missouri) and Mike Reilly (William & Mary). The first five prospects on that list are considered first-round prospects, and Reilly is considered a priority free agent.

Harold looks like the best fit of those players for his size and experience in a 3-4 defense. 

Jets Hosted Randy Gregory on Predraft Visit

The Report (via Darryl Slater of NJ Advance Media):

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This week, the Jets are hosting Nebraska pass rusher Randy Gregory on a pre-draft visit, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. ... Gregory admitted to testing positive for marijuana at the NFL Scouting Combine in February, though that probably won't hurt his draft stock all that much. Gregory remains one of the top pass rushers available this year, along with Fowler, Ray and Clemson's Vic Beasley. All four have the potential to go high in the first round.

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The Analysis

Darryl Slater may think that Randy Gregory's positive test for marijuana won't hurt his draft stock much, if at all, and there's still a chance he gets drafted high in the first round. That being said, the Jets should not be the ones to do it.

Even if there's a logical explanation, there's just no excuse for testing positive at the combine. Players know they will be tested, and they know when. If the drugs aren't out of their system by then, there's a problem.

If the Jets have a choice between Gregory, who has a checkered past, and a prospect with equal upside like Dante Fowler Jr. or Vic Beasley, why shouldn't they go with a player who is of lower risk and could be of higher reward?

Jets Hosted Washington CB Marcus Peters for Predraft Visit

The Report (via Chase Goodbread of NFL.com's College Football 24/7):

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Former Washington cornerback Marcus Peters is visiting the Jets on Tuesday, according to NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport. ... The Peters visit might come as a surprise to some, given that the Jets invested heavily in the cornerback position in free agency, adding All-Pro Darrelle Revis, veteran Antonio Cromartie, and fourth-year pro Buster Skrine.

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The Analysis

This visit may come as a bit of a surprise to some folks, considering the exorbitant amount of resources the Jets have invested into the cornerback position in the past few years. With big contracts for Darrelle Revis, Antonio Cromartie and Buster Skrine as well as a first-round pick on Dee Milliner, the Jets have been trying like mad to solve their crisis at cornerback.

Milliner is recovering from a torn Achilles tendon, and his status in the Jets secondary is more than a little shaky. That being said, while Cromartie was recently signed to a big-money contract, the Jets may be thinking long-term with their draft plans—as all good teams should.

If the Jets were to spend a first-round pick on Peters, the backlash would be palpable, as there are bigger needs on the roster at quarterback and defensive end/outside linebacker. At the same time, Peters has the size and athletic ability to be a perfect fit in the Jets defense.