Why the Jets should Take a Quarterback in the First Round

As we approach the 2008 NFL Draft, I am trying to figure out why the names most associated with the Jets’ 6th pick in the first round are Vernon Gholston, DL, Ohio State and Sedrick Ellis, DT, USC.

Now, everyone knows a lot can change between now and the draft day and everyone knows a lot can change on draft day itself.

But, I am confused as to why the Jets seem to be so interested in two defensive linemen.

There is no doubt that Gholston and Ellis are unbelievably talented defensive players, but can a defensive lineman turn around a franchise?

The Jets should be looking at a quarterback, plain and simple. A quarterback has the ability to come in and turn around a franchise in a matter of a few years. A defensive lineman, although very important, cannot quickly turn around a franchise.

Let’s face it, Chad Pennington and Kellen Clemens are just not going to get the job done for the Jets.  When was the last time you saw a team win the Super Bowl without either a great quarterback or a quarterback that was at least playing great?

Clemens and Pennington will NOT lead the Jets to a Super Bowl.

So why are the Jets so interested in a defensive lineman when the 2008 NFL Draft contains several quality quarterbacks? New York needs a legitimate franchise player and a defensive lineman is not going to fill that role.

Matt Ryan will most likely go to Atlanta with the third pick in the draft. But why are the Jets not looking to draft one of the other quality quarterbacks such as Andre Woodson, Chad Henne, John David Booty or a little-known quarterback from Delaware named Joe Flacco?

You might not have heard too much about Flacco. If you haven’t, he is a 6-foot-6, 235-pound quarterback with exceptional arm strength and above-average accuracy.

Could Woodson, Booty, Henne, or Flacco turn around the Jets? Maybe, maybe not. It all depends on how they develop.

Do the Jets have a better chance of turning around their team with the first-round selection of a quarterback than through the first round selection of a defensive lineman? Absolutely.

There are not many people out there who have more football experience or knowledge than Ernie Accorsi, the Giants’ former GM.

Throughout his career, Accorsi held one principle at the center of everything. That a team's success begins with the coach and the quarterback; that those two people are the most important two people on any football team.

With the sixth pick in the 2008 NFL Draft, the New York Jets select…