Jets take Allen & White in seventh round

The Jets added more depth to their secondary and wide receiving corps in the seventh round of the NFL draft Saturday, selecting safety Antonio Allen and wide receiver Jordan White with more compensatory picks.

With the 242nd overall pick, the Jets took Allen, a 6-1, 210-pounder from South Carolina, who led the Gamecocks defense with 88 tackles, three interceptions and a sack last season.

Though he didn't play a true safety position in college -- Allen referred to it as "the spur" -- his athleticism and defense against the run potentially could be an asset to the Jets thin secondary. 

But he's expected to make an immediate impact on special teams. Head coach Rex Ryan has already told him he'll be playing "a lot" for special teams coordinator Mike Westhoff.

The wait was a long one for Allen, who expected to hear his name called late in the second or early in the third rounds. The last few hours were “nerve-racking,” he said, and he had begun to look toward free agency before receiving the Jets call.

“It was a surprise at the end because I really didn’t think I was getting drafted anywhere,” he said.

Allen didn’t know why he slid down the draft board, but assumed it was because of his nontraditional safety role in college. “I’m not 12 yards deep covering the post,” he said. “I’m up on the line of scrimmage tackling people for loss.”

He wasn’t sure how his experience as a “spur” fit in with the Jets defense, but, he said, “I’m a playmaker.”

White, a Western Michigan product, went two picks later to the Jets at 244th. The wide receiver, who set a single-game record for receiving yards (265) last year, is big and powerful and is considered by many to be NFL-ready.

He rebounded from what he termed “freak accidents” in 2006 and 2008 -- two ACL injuries, which he suffered while blocking during practice. White stayed healthy the past two seasons and had 140 receptions for 1,911 yards his senior year.

Aside from a meeting with Jets wide receivers coach Sanjay Lal at the combine, he had no other visits or contacts with the Jets. The Jets “kind of surprised me” with the pick, he said.

“I’m fortunate the Jets saw something in my ability,” said White, who said he spoke to fellow WMU grad and Packers wide receiver, Greg Jennings. “...And here I am right now ready to put on a show.”