Let's hope Jets perform as well as Joe Douglas did in the NFL Draft
New York Jets general manager Joe Douglas speaking to the media at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center, Florham Park on Thurs. April 21, 2022. Credit: Errol Anderson
The Jets haven’t won much of anything over the last decade-plus, so this must be an awkward feeling for fans used to mostly failure since Rex Ryan’s exhilarating rides to back-to-back AFC Championship Games in 2009-10. But the offseason performance by general manager Joe Douglas and his staff — up to and including the just-concluded three-day draft — has been as good as it gets around here.
At least in theory.
The ultimate test, of course, won’t come until coach Robert Saleh puts this much-improved roster into action in the regular season. And we’ve seen enough hopes go down the drain from September to January, so no guarantees here. But Douglas’ ability to add meaningful depth in free agency with players including guard Laken Tomlinson, cornerback D.J. Reed, safety Jordan Whitehead and tight ends C.J. Uzomah and Tyler Conklin. And his re-signing of Braxton Berrios kept a Pro Bowl return man and reliable third-down receiver on the roster.
But Douglas saved his best for last, capping off an already impressive roster refurbishment with a home run in the draft. With top 10 picks Sauce Gardner at cornerback and wide receiver Garrett Wilson, Douglas traded back into the round after seeing Florida State edge rusher Jermaine Johnson II slip to 26th overall and addressed another need. And then his move up to take the draft’s top running back, Iowa State’s Breece Hall, with the 36th overall choice made it a grand slam of four outstanding choices.
Douglas can only hope when the rubber meets the road and they get onto the field this fall that they match their expectations. But make no mistake: This was among the best performances by a team in this year’s draft. Adding Long Island’s own Jeremy Ruckert of Ohio State in the third round only solidifies the haul that Douglas came away with.
About the only decision Douglas left up for debate was taking Texas A & M defensive lineman Micheal Clemons in the fourth round. There’s no questioning Clemons’ ability as a football player, but he does raise red flags because of the reasons behind his suspension for last season’s opener. Clemons was arrested last August for the unlawful carrying of a weapon, failure to identify/giving false information, possession of less than two ounces of marijuana and driving with an invalid license.
The Jets surely did their due diligence on Clemons’ background and believe he will not have off-field issues moving forward, but the risk/reward ratio remains high.
Overall, though, put the Jets among the teams that came away from this draft rightfully feeling good about how they performed.
Here’s a look at the others:
Ravens: Lamar Jackson wasn’t happy that the Ravens traded wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown to the Cardinals, but sometimes teams have to make tough calls like that. Jackson ought to have faith in the front office, though, because GM Eric DeCosta did a magnificent job, one that will help Jackson in important ways. The Ravens’ first of two first-round choices was Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton, whose size and speed make him a versatile player who can be a hybrid linebacker in addition to a rangy safety. Next up was Iowa center Tyler Linderbaum, who will help keep Jackson upright — even if the quarterback expressed his frustration after the pick on Twitter. Jackson will soon feel better about the pick after Linderbaum improves the Ravens’ pass protection. The Ravens also hit on Michigan edge rusher David Ojabo, a first-round talent who slipped to the second round because of an Achilles injury he suffered at his Pro Day. Excellent value for a player the Ravens believe will contribute this season. All told, the Ravens came away with 10 picks in the first four rounds. An important draft for a team that has Super Bowl aspirations.
Giants: It was a promising start for first-year GM Joe Schoen, especially in the early going. He received a nice parting gift from outgoing GM Dave Gettleman in the form of an extra first-round pick secured in a deal last year with the Bears, and Schoen made the most of it by taking Oregon pass rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux with the Giants’ own No. 5 overall and then Alabama offensive tackle Evan Neal at No. 7. These are two building block players who show plenty of promise, and they both fill immediate needs. Neal will begin his NFL career at right tackle opposite Andrew Thomas, and Thibodeaux hopes to develop into the mold of Michael Strahan, who has already served as a part-time mentor to the newly arrived pass rusher. Schoen added depth to his receiver corps with Kentucky’s Wan’Dale Robinson and added depth at guard (Joshua Ezeudu), cornerback (Cordale Flott) and tight end (Daniel Bellinger). All in all, a good beginning for a GM who has plenty of work in the years ahead to rebuild a woeful roster left behind by Gettleman. He’s already studying quarterbacks in advance of next year’s draft.
Kansas City: The loss of Tyreek Hill will be significant, but the return Kansas City got in its blockbuster trade with Miami will work out over time. And when you have Patrick Mahomes as your quarterback, things will always have a way of working out. GM Brett Veach and coach Andy Reid are in lockstep with their vision of the future, and it looks very bright indeed. A major area of need was addressed with first-round cornerback Trent McDuffie and especially with Purdue edge rusher George Karlaftis, who can complement veteran linemen Frank Clark and Chris Jones. Kansas City opted not to trade into the earlier part of the first round when the run on elite wide receivers took place, but they did get outstanding value with second-round receiver Skyy Moore of Western Michigan. Remember, Reid knows how to find receiving talent, even if it’s not in the first round — Hill, for instance, was a fifth-rounder who fell in part because of off-field issues. Moore will add to an already viable receiving corps, even without Hill. In other words, keep Kansas City in your Super Bowl contender group for 2022 and beyond.
Eagles: GM Howie Roseman has become one of the most gifted traders in the NFL, especially when it comes to the draft. Whether it’s moving up or back, he always finds a way to get the players he wants. With a huge need along the defensive line, Roseman moved to Houston’s No. 13 overall and took Georgia defensive tackle Jordan Davis. After landing center Cam Jurgens in the second round with an eye toward eventually replacing All Pro center Jason Kelce, Roseman came away with Georgia linebacker Nakobe Dean to fill another big spot with a player boasting first-round talent. Concerns about a shoulder injury caused Dean to fall, but the former Georgia star insisted there is no issue and he’ll be ready to go. But the biggest prize of all: Roseman’s trade for Titans Pro Bowl receiver A.J. Brown, who had refused to agree to a new deal in Tennessee and forced his way out and gets a four-year, $100 million deal in Philly.
Rams: The Rams? They haven’t had a first-round pick since taking Jared Goff at No. 1 overall in 2016, and they didn’t even have a second-round choice this year. So why put them in the winners’ category? Simple. They have shown the NFL that it’s not just the draft that’s required to build a championship team. It’s no longer your father’s NFL of building almost exclusively through the draft. It takes hitting on trades, which the Rams did with quarterback Matthew Stafford last year. And it takes hitting on players who may not be big-name stars in college but can develop into big-time players in the NFL — see: 2017 third-round receiver Cooper Kupp, the reigning Super Bowl MVP.
And now, from the could-have-done-better category:
Bears: Think of the Bears like the Jets: a young team with a second-year quarterback in Justin Fields who needs to have better skill position players around him. But new GM Ryan Poles and coach Matt Eberflus didn’t do nearly enough to surround Fields with improved talent the way Joe Douglas did with the Jets. Granted, they didn’t have a first-round pick because of the trade by erstwhile GM Ryan Pace. But the Bears simply didn’t do enough to give Fields a fighting chance. They didn’t even take a receiver until third-rounder Velus Jones of Tennessee. Could be another long year in Chicago.
Patriots: Bill Belichick raised eyebrows in the first round when he traded back in the first round and, instead of filling the cornerback spot left open with the free agent departure of J.C. Jackson, eschewed that early choice and went with Tennessee-Chattanooga guard Cole Strange. A strange choice, indeed, especially with most scouts rating Strange a third-round prospect. Belichick waited until the third round to get cornerback Marcus Jones of Houston. He continued to address a receiver position that has been a source of disappointment in recent years with second-round choice Tyquan Thornton of Baylor.
Panthers: They had the chance to take Kenny Pickett of Pittsburgh with the sixth overall pick and instead chose tackle Ickey Okwonu of North Carolina. Fine, since Okwonu was one of the draft’s best tackle prospects, and there’s no undervaluing a competent pass blocker. But instead of getting Pickett lower down — the Steelers took him at 20th overall — and eschewing a trade of Baker Mayfield, who was certainly available after the Browns traded for Deshaun Watson — the Panthers settled on Matt Corral of Ole Miss as their quarterback of choice. Not exactly a quarterback room brimming with talent, and it looks as if Sam Darnold will continue as the starter for now.
Seahawks: Seattle made the bold decision to move on from Russell Wilson, but it appears they’ll go into the season with Drew Lock as the starter. A major downgrade, to be sure. Now, there’s always the chance they trade for Baker Mayfield. But if they don’t, they might regret passing on Liberty quarterback Malik Willis, who fell all the way to the third round. At the very least, Willis presents the potential for immense growth during his career. But it was the Titans, not the Seahawks, who took a chance on that talent in the third round.
Bob Glauber retired in 2022 after covering the NFL for nearly 40 years. He was selected in 2021 for the Bill Nunn Career Achievement Award by the Pro Football Writers of America, and is a three-time winner of the New York State Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. President of the PFWA for the 2018-20 seasons, he is the author of “The Forgotten First” and “Guts and Genius.”
