The Complete New York Jets Draft Primer

Offseason mathematics are simple.

A new head coach plus a new general manager equals a new direction. Also, a new head coach plus a new general manager plus a 4-12 team plus enough cap space to fill a Brink's truck equals a lot of free-agent acquisitions.

The New York Jets have been on the beneficial side of these equations this offseason, but the job is only half-done. Now, the world turns its attention to the 2015 NFL draft, which offers six opportunities for the Jets to make more improvements to their roster out of hundreds of prospects to choose from.

The Jets have addressed most of their glaring needs, but a couple remain. 

Which picks do the Jets hold? What are their biggest needs? What should their blueprint look like? 

Jets' Draft Picks

Craig Ruttle/Associated Press

Round	Selection	Overall	How acquired
1	6	6	Assigned
2	5	37	Assigned
3	6	70	Assigned
4	5	104	Assigned
7	6	223	Assigned
7	7	224	Trade w/ Chicago Bears

The New York Jets hold six picks in the 2015 NFL draft, exactly half the picks they made in 2014. The last time the Jets had fewer than seven picks was in 2011, when they also held six picks. 

If the Jets make a single trade in the 2015 draft, it will be their first in two years. 

That being said, they are not typically active on the trade market in the first round of the draft; they have stayed put with their first-round selection in each of the past five years, and the last time they made a trade in the first round was in 2009 when they moved up to No. 5 to grab USC quarterback Mark Sanchez. 

The extra seventh-round pick comes from the Chicago Bears by way of the trade that sent Brandon Marshall to the Big Apple. The Jets were awarded no compensatory picks this offseason because they did not lose more players than they signed in free agency last year. 

Jets' Draft Contacts

Associated Press/Associated Press

Oregon's Marcus Mariota (above) was one of the many players the Jets hosted for a predraft visit.

Each year, each team is allowed to have 30 prospects come to their facility for a predraft visit, as well as an unlimited number of local prospects. Teams are also allowed to visit as many prospects as they want for workouts on campuses. 

The Jets were busy this year but failed to make full use of their visits, having only 26 prospects come to the facility for a visit, according to CBS Sports' Frank Cooney. Here's a look at all the prospects who were worked out by the Jets in some way and at some locale (PV = private visit; LOC = local; WO = workout).

Prospect	Position	School	Contact
Marcus Mariota	QB	Oregon	PV
Brett Hundley	QB	UCLA	PV
Garrett Grayson	QB	Colorado State	PV
Gary Nova	QB	Rutgers	LOC
Bryce Petty	QB	Baylor	PV
Jameis Winston	QB	Florida State	WO
Dante Fowler Jr.	DE/OLB	Florida	PV
Vic Beasley	DE/OLB	Clemson	PV
Alvin Dupree	DE/OLB	Kentucky	PV
Eli Harold	DE/OLB	Virginia	PV
Shane Ray	DE/OLB	Missouri	PV
Mike Reilly	DE	William & Mary	LOC
Tyson Chandler	OT	N.C. State	WO
Ereck Flowers	OT	Miami	PV
Andrus Peat	OT	Stanford	PV
Vince Mayle	FB/WR	Washington State	PV
Amari Cooper	WR	Alabama	PV
Adrian Coxson	WR	Stony Brook	LOC
Austin Hill	WR	Arizona	PV
DeVante Parker	WR	Louisville	PV
Breshad Perriman	WR	Central Florida	PV
Kevin White	WR	West Virginia	PV
Marcus Peters	CB	Washington	PV
Kristjan Sokoli	DT	Buffalo	PV, LOC
Leonard Williams	DT	USC	PV
Jeff Luc	ILB	Cincinnati	PV

There are some interesting names on this list. 

The vast number of wide receivers is confusing, considering the Jets are fairly loaded at the position as we stand right now. Most of the receivers they've scouted are players who could contribute right away, but the Jets probably wouldn't have room on the field for all their receivers if they picked up someone like Amari Cooper or Kevin White with the No. 6 pick.

Besides, the Jets have more pressing needs. The host of defensive end/outside linebacker prospects is probably music to the ears of Jets fans, given how dire the need is at the position. They've needed a bona fide pass-rush specialist for years, and plenty of top prospects are available who fit the bill. The Jets have scouted almost every one of them, and while Dante Fowler Jr. and Vic Beasley are the sexy early picks, Eli Harold may be the strongest value pick. 

Of course, no one should be surprised by the heavy focus on the quarterbacks. The Jets may have outward faith in Geno Smith, but inwardly, there should be more than a fair share of consternation about the quarterback position. A legitimate passer could be the piece that puts the Jets over the hump and into the playoffs, so if Oregon's Marcus Mariota is on the board at No. 6, the Jets have to think long and hard about making the pick. 

Jets' Team Needs

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

The Jets have been one of the most aggressive teams in the league this offseason about addressing all of their biggest needs, from trades to big-name free-agent acquisitions. Now is the time for the Jets to turn their attention to the long-term future of the franchise and the players who will develop into the faces of the team for years to come.

Teams that draft for need often find themselves drafting for the same need a few years down the line, but here's a rundown of the Jets' biggest areas of concern headed into the draft.

Quarterback

This one needs no explanation, but for you masochists out there, I'll give you one anyway.

Since 2012, the Jets have thrown 43 touchdown passes, fewest in the league and seven fewer than the Kansas City Chiefs. The Jets have also thrown 56 interceptions, tied with the Jacksonville Jaguars for second-most in the league behind the New York Giants (58). Their quarterbacks also have the third-lowest completion percentage behind the Cleveland Browns and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Unless Chan Gailey thinks he can continue to take quarterback lemons and squeeze them into lemonade, and unless Gailey thinks he can do that with Geno Smith or Ryan Fitzpatrick, the Jets have no choice but to address the quarterback position at some point in this draft. 

Outside Linebacker

The search has gone on long enough. The Jets have been using veteran Calvin Pace as their stopgap for years now, and while the 2003 first-round pick has had a good career, he's not been close to an answer at the position. 

Todd Bowles is used to having the likes of Emmanuel Acho and John Abraham on the edges—far from dynamic pass-rushers, to say the least—but giving him an athlete off the edge could be exactly the spark this defense needs. Imagine someone like Dante Fowler Jr. flying off the edge with Muhammad Wilkerson, Sheldon Richardson and Damon Harrison eating up blocks like lunch. 

Opposing quarterbacks and offensive coordinators might tremble at the thought.

Offensive Line

There are much sexier positions the Jets could address than the offensive line, but after filling so many of their holes this offseason, the offensive line is one spot where question marks still abound. 

One could make the case that both tackle and guard are positions of need. At guard, the Jets have acquired some young talent over the past couple of years in the likes of Brian Winters and Oday Aboushi, and they have veteran Willie Colon in the fold but could still use an upgrade.

At tackle, although the team just signed Breno Giacomini to a contract last offseason, the position could be a need sooner than later if D'Brickashaw Ferguson ends up being a salary-cap casualty at some point. His contract carries no dead-money penalties for the Jets in the next two years, according to Over The Cap. 

Day-by-Day Game Plan

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

It's hard to devise a game plan for an event like the draft, which is such a moving target due to all the variables of who will trade into what spots and which players will be available at what points in the draft, but if things go perfectly for the Jets, here's what it might look like. 

Day 1

The Jets' strategy on the first day of the draft is simple—or at least it should be. If either Jameis Winston or Marcus Mariota ends up falling to the Jets at No. 6 overall, there's no excuse not to pull the trigger on a quarterback who could be the face of the franchise.

Otherwise, the Jets should look at the pass-rushers. Someone like Dante Fowler Jr. or Vic Beasley would be a perfect fit for the 3-4 defense, offering that explosiveness off the line and the athleticism to drop into coverage. 

Failing that, the Jets should examine a potential trade-down situation to acquire more picks and get more value for those picks. With only six selections, they could certainly use a few more picks to help beef up their depth chart at a couple of thin positions like linebacker and safety. 

Day 2

It goes without saying that the Jets' strategy in the second and third rounds will be impacted by the outcome of the first round. If they nab a quarterback, they can look at other positions—the outside linebacker class is deep in this range. Someone like Eli Harold (Virginia) or Owamagbe Odighizuwa (UCLA) could boost the Jets' pass rush at the top of the second round. 

This is also where the Jets should begin looking at guards, as the likes of A.J. Cann (South Carolina) and Laken Tomlinson (Duke) will be worth a pick at the beginning of the second round. Someone like Tre' Jackson (Florida State) could help the Jets' pass protection in the third round. 

Day 3

The Jets only hold three picks on the final day of the draft, so it would be prudent for them to trade down at some point on the first or second day of the draft to acquire at least one or two more picks to help round out the depth chart. That being said, with the Jets firmly in win-now mode, it seems likelier that they would mortgage those late-round picks for an opportunity to acquire a more highly coveted player. 

History of No. 6

Ed Betz/Associated Press

What does the past tell us about the No. 6 overall pick?

Past Five No. 6 Picks

Year	Team	Player	Position
2014	Atlanta Falcons	Jake Matthews	OT
2013	Cleveland Browns	Barkevious Mingo	OLB
2012	Dallas Cowboys	Morris Claiborne	CB
2011	Atlanta Falcons	Julio Jones	WR
2010	Seattle Seahawks	Russell Okung	OT

Best Pick: John Riggins, FB (New York Jets, 1971)

The No. 6 spot has paved the way for four Hall of Famers: James Lofton, Tim Brown, Walter Jones and John Riggins. Riggins and Jones were the only two of those players to make it in in fewer than two tries. Riggins is remembered mostly for his time with the Washington Redskins, where he helped the "Hogs" capture a Super Bowl trophy in 1983 and make a couple of other deep runs into the postseason. 

Worst Pick: Rich Campbell, QB (Green Bay Packers, 1981)

Let me put it to you this way: The Packers regretted the Rich Campbell decision so much that they didn't draft another quarterback in the first round until 2005, when they selected Aaron Rodgers. Campbell was a solid collegiate passer, especially in his senior year, as he completed 70.7 percent of his passes to lead the nation in completion percentage. 

He barely made it onto the field in his four years with the Packers before he was unceremoniously traded to the Los Angeles Raiders, where he was never heard from again. 

Jets at No. 6

The Jets have made four picks at the No. 6 spot since 1970: Riggins (1971), Carl Barzilauskas (1974), Richard Todd (1976) and Vernon Gholston (2008). It's probably just a coincidence that those picks got worse over time. 

As mentioned previously, the Jets selected Riggins at the No. 6 spot in 1971. They were not, however, the team that reaped the reward of the selection, as he signed with the Washington Redskins just five years later.

Vernon Gholston is one of the bigger busts in Jets history. The next sack he records will be his first. So, needless to say, the Jets are hoping their next No. 6 pick is nothing like their last. 

Unless otherwise noted, all scouting combine information and draft notes provided by CBSSports.com and NFL.com.