The dust has settled from the draft and as we move forward the question for every team will be "How did we do?" Of course it's impossible to give a definitive answer right away, but I will give my opinions. In the case of the Jets, I think that they did a decent job but I was left unsatisfied. The short version of my answer is:
How did the Jets do in the 2014 draft?Grade: B-
As for the long answer, let's get right into it. I think that the Jets did a good job of addressing some needs. They stocked up on players for the secondary, even if they weren't the players I would have liked to see. They grabbed a couple of raw pass rushers who could contribute down the road. A couple of receivers were added, most notably Jace Amaro at tight end. My problem is, not to harp on this, but they still lack explosiveness on offense. I would have loved to see the Jets grab Brandin Cooks (who is going to be a big time playmaker) in the first round or Marquise Lee (huge steal for the Jags in round 2). Amaro is a nice player, but he isn't scaring anyone.
Let's take a look round by round. I have already covered the first and second round picks, so here are links to them:
In round 3 the Jets finally got around to addressing the cornerback position, taking Dexter McDougle out of Maryland. I think this was a bit early for McDougle, but he's aggressive and a sure tackler. Those are some traits that will fit well in the Jets defense so this pick could turn out better than it appears on the surface. Grade: C
Round 4 was devoted to offense as the Jets went with two wide receivers and an offensive guard. First they took Jalen Saunders, a WR from Oklahoma. Saunders is quick and shifty, he should be a nice contributor in the return game. He does not look to factor much in the starting lineup right away however. Grade: B-
Their second fourth round pick went to WR Shaquelle Evans from UCLA. Evans looks more like a player who will be able to contribute right out of the gate. He possesses middling speed, but has great hands, he should put up some nice numbers especially in catches. Grade: B
With their final fourth round pick the Jets grabbed a very promising guard in the form of Dakota Dozier from Furman University. Although he went to a small school and faced some lesser competition, Dozier has some excellent raw talent and looks like a sure thing to start at some point. Grade: B+
In the fifth round Jeremiah George, an ILB from Iowa State became a Jet. I think that this is a nice value pick. George has a lot of skill and really leaves everything on the field. Given a year or so in the league, I think that George could find himself looking at a starting spot on the Jets defense. You can't ask for much more than that later in the draft. Grade: B
The sixth round was where I think the Jets really got some great bang for their picks. Although I didn't love the first pick, Brandon Dixon the CB from Northwest Missouri State. I think that he is very unrefined and I just don't see the potential to contribute much at the next level. Grade: C-
The next three picks were excellent starting with Quincy Enuwa, a WR from Oklahoma. Enuwa is a big, physical receiver who can break some tackles after he gets the ball. Grade: B+
IK Enemkpali, a DE from Louisiana Tech is a very raw player with big potential. The Jets are really lacking in the pass-rushing department and I think that this is a guy who could help change that. Grade: B
The last pick in the sixth round was Tajh Boyd, Clemson's former quarterback. I loved watching this guy play in college. He has a big arm and he knows how to win football games. I think that to get a guy with his potential in the sixth round is a real coup for the Jets. Grade: A+
In the final round of the draft, the Jets picked up Trevor Reilly, an OLB from Utah. This is another guy who I think could be a real contributor as a pass rusher. At 26 years old, he is a bit seasoned for a rookie and he is somewhat injury prone. However, you really can't argue when you can grab a guy who can get you some sacks in the last round of the draft. Grade: A
The Jets first and second round picks did not make a lot of sense to me, but I think that they made up a lot of ground later in the draft, hence the borderline high overall grade that I gave them. The Jets had some serious needs going into this offseason and I think that they have made real strides to address those needs. They picked up some great pieces in the draft and if utilized correctly, I think that these guys can set them up to compete with New England for the division. It's time to see if Rex can coach up these players and save his job for another season.
