This is going to be a huge draft for GM Mike Tannenbaum. His two drafts in the Rex Ryan Era have been underwhelming, and with holes starting to mount on this team, he will need to find rookies who can come in and play at a high level right away.
Round 1: Melvin Ingram, OLB, South Carolina
There is a good chance that Ingram will be gone before the 16th pick, so if the Jets want him, they may have to trade up. But at 265 lbs, Ingram should make an easy transition to linebacker. He is the most consistent pass rusher in this year's draft, and the Jets need to find someone who can play on all three downs and bring the heat on the quarterback without complex blitz schemes.
Round 2: Trumaine Johnson, CB, Central Florida
Johnson has not been widely-touted prospect, until he ran the fastest 40 yard dash at the combine. He has all of the measurables you want in terms of size and speed. His biggest issue is that he gets flat-footed when in transition out of his breaks. Other than that, Johnson has the makeup of a first-round corner. The Jets have some talent at the corner position already, but no team stocks up on corners like the Jets. Don't be surprised if they spend a high draft pick on one this year.
Round 3: LaMichael James, RB, Oregon
An extremely productive runner at Oregon, James has incredible lateral agility and explosion. He has great patience and can break the game open with a single carry. If he can learn how to run between the tackles with more consistency, he has the chance to be a heck of a player.
Round 4: Vontaze Burfict, ILB, Arizona State
Burfict's stock is plummeting after his terrible combine performance, but he has enough ability to take a chance on this late in the draft. With Bart Scott's future up in the air, they will need to bring in another body as a replacement.
Round 5: Donte Paige-Moss, DE, North Carolina
Donte suffered an ACL injury in 2011, making his status questionable for the start of the 2012 season. He would be a second-round pick based on talent and measurables alone, but he showed issues as a junior with maintaining a high motor and producing on a consistent basis. At this point in the draft, he is worth the gamble, especially if the Jets already drafted a outside linebacker in the first round to let Paige-Moss develop.
Round 6: Ryan Miller, OL, Colorado
One of my favorite late-round offensive lineman in the draft, Miller would be better suited to play tackle despite playing inside at guard at Colorado. The Jets need to being in some competition for Wayne Hunter, and Miller could be that guy.
Round 7: Chris Rainey, WR/RB, Florida
The Jets need a lot of speed on both sides of the ball. Rainey disappointed at the combine, but he is a natural runner that can make guys miss in the open field. A poor man's Percy Harvin could do a lot of a Jets offense that was anything but explosive in 2011.
