New York Jets: Analyzing Role, Expectations of 2011 Draft Class

The New York Jets went into the draft in a rather difficult position. A lot of important players from the past two years, especially last year, are now free agents. With the current NFL lockout leading to the unknown, head coach Rex Ryan and general manager Mike Tannenbaum had to figure out ways to fill out their rosters with only six draft selections.

The Jets came just shy of making it to the Super Bowl for the second-straight season. With the No. 30 overall selection, they had several ways they could go with this draft. We know the main objected was to improve the pass rush, which they were able to accomplish. They had a successful draft in terms of filling needs and getting excellent value for their first two selections.

How will the Jets’ 2011 rookies help the team achieve their goal of winning the Super Bowl? We’re going to analyze the role and expectations of all six rookies.

Round 1, Pick No. 30: Muhammad Wilkerson, Temple DE/DT

Height: 6’4”

Weight: 315 lbs

Career Stats: 138 tackles, 17 sacks, 2 forced fumbles

Combine Results:

40-yard Dash – 4.96

Bench Press – 27.0

Vertical Jump – 26.0

Broad Jump – 106.0

3 Cone Drill – 7.31

20-yard Shuttle – 4.59

60-yard Shuttle – N/A

The New York Jets desperately needed to upgrade their pass rush heading into the draft. Somehow, at No. 30 overall, the Jets landed a late-round steal in the gem of Muhammad Wilkerson.

He has the physical abilities to become a top-10 talent from this draft class. He has a great work ethic, nonstop motor and immense talent. He will become a superstar in New York as he destroys quarterbacks and ball carriers.

He will be expected to be the best player on this defensive line due to his athleticism and first-round grade. Expect him to become a leader on this defense very quickly despite the likes of David Harris, Bart Scott, Darrelle Revis and Jim Leonhard already anchoring the defense.

Round 3, Pick No.30: Kenrick Ellis, Hampton DT

Height: 6’5”

Weight: 346 lbs

Career Stats: 186 tackles, 7 sacks

Combine Results:

40-yard Dash – 5.28             

Bench Press – 26.0               

Vertical Jump – N/A

Broad Jump – N/A

3 Cone Drill – N/A

20-yard Shuttle – N/A

60-yard Shuttle – N/A

Ellis is going to be leaned upon heavily as a rookie—perhaps even more than Wilkerson despite his third-round grade.

The Jets have been desperately seeking a nose tackle to anchor their 3-4 defense. Kris Jenkins was that talented, vital piece, but he failed to stay healthy each of the past two seasons.

Rex Ryan grabbed his next Jenkins in the form of the monstrous and highly athletic Ellis. This is a man capable of shredding tacklers and wreaking havoc in the back field.

Expect him to blow up a lot of plays and ball carriers as a rookie starter. With him clogging the middle as the next great 3-4 nose tackle in this league, the Jets’ entire defense will greatly improve.

Round 4, Pick No. 29: Bilal Powell, Louisville RB

Height: 5’11”

Weight: 220 lbs

Career Stats: 436 attempts, 2,338 yards, 19 touchdowns

Combine Results:

40-yard Dash – N/A

Bench Press – 18.0

Vertical Jump – N/A

Broad Jump – N/A

3 Cone Drill – N/A

20-yard Shuttle – N/A

60-yard Shuttle – N/A

Although I strongly disagree with this selection, Rex Ryan will hope that Powell can make an impact as a rookie with limited touches down the stretch similar to what Shonn Greene did in 2009.

Joe McKnight has not been the lightning bolt the Jets envisioned after his first year in the league. With two quality backs in Greene and LaDainian Tomlinson, Ryan wants that third back in the rotation to come in and shred defenses quickly late in games and more importantly, late in the season heading into the playoffs.

Powell’s playing time will be determined on how successful McKnight is early in the season. If he fails to impress, like he most likely will, Powell will be relied upon to step up quickly. He is a determined runner, but the Jets want to see an impact immediately with his speed.

Round 5, Pick No. 22: Jeremy Kerley, TCU WR

Height: 5’10”

Weight: 189 lbs

Career Stats: 120 receptions 2,399 yards, 12 touchdowns,

Combine Results:

40-yard Dash – 4.62

Bench Press – 16.0

Vertical Jump – 34.5

Broad Jump – 120.0

3 Cone Drill – N/A

20-yard Shuttle – N/A

60-yard Shuttle – N/A

Brad Smith could very well bolt once free agency begins. Although I strongly believe this would be a terrible loss for the Jets since Smith is the most versatile player they have on the team, Jeremy Kerley will be relied upon to instantly fill his role.

Even if Smith returns, Kerley will still be relied upon to create a spark on punt returns, which is where he excels.

He does not have blazing speed and is not a great route runner. Still, he would be called to enter the slot frequently to exploit defenses on the slant route and middle of the field. He is a great return man with his vision and ability to make defenders miss, which is why he will excel on returns and in the slot.

Smith has been a major spark plug on the returns for the Jets. If he returns, Rex Ryan will have two extremely dependable return men to call upon. Kerley would also be used on quick throws by the line of scrimmage to let him work his magic of making defenders whiff on tackles.

Round 7, Pick No. 5: Greg McElroy, Alabama QB

Height: 6’2”

Weight: 220 lbs

Career Stats: 5,691 yards, 39 touchdowns, 10 interceptions

Combine Results:

40-yard Dash – 4.91

Bench Press – N/A

Vertical Jump – 33.0

Broad Jump – 107.0

3 Cone Drill – 7.11

20-yard Shuttle – 4.45

60-yard Shuttle – N/A

Greg McElroy would only see the playing field during preseason and blowouts—unless Mark Sanchez suffered an injury, of course.

Still, McElroy is going to be asked to learn the offense and every one of his teammates right off the bat just in case something does happen to the franchise QB.

The life of a backup is an interesting job. They rarely see the playing field, don’t get to practice with the first-team offense but yet still must be as prepared to play in a game as the starting QB.

New York landed a steal in the seventh round because this is the type of intelligent, mature player teams want as their backup quarterback.

More importantly, he has the talent, experience and pedigree to win ball games.

Round 7, Pick 24: Scotty McKnight, Colorado WR

Height: 5’11”

Weight: 182 lbs

Career Stats: 219 receptions 2,590 yards, 22 touchdowns

Pro Day Results:

40-yard Dash – 4.5

Bench Press – 13.0

Vertical Jump – 34.0

Broad Jump – 10'08"

3 Cone Drill – 6.68

20-yard Shuttle – 4.07

60-yard Shuttle – N/A

McKnight will not be expected to make an impact as a rookie, but he will certainly play a role on offense. Every team needs a quality No. 3 and No. 4 receiver, which he certainly has the talent for with his sticky hands.

Mark Sanchez and Scotty are childhood buddies and Mark actually threw to Scotty and his Colorado Pro Day last month. These two have a great chemistry together, which will be extremely important in clutch situations. Santonio Holmes is the most clutch receiver in the NFL, but Mark will be looking to Scotty often on third-down situations as he will be single-covered.

I won’t go as far as to say that Scotty will be to Mark what Ed McCaffrey was to John Elway, but he should actually help Sanchez progress on the field with their chemistry.