By Bob Bonett
Well, the 2008 NFL Draft has, alas, come and gone. No more mock drafts to peruse through on countless websites, no more listening to the talking heads babble about which prospect should go where, and most importantly, no more of the horrid coverage of the NFL Combine.
Now, you get to listen to us analysts-and I use the term “analysts” loosely, of course-assess how swell of a job the league’s general managers did, or how the head coaches of the league have managed to doom the future of their franchises.
My expertise in the area is obviously objectionable-hell, two weeks ago, I forecasted the Jets’ 2008 season, and a name that appeared more than once was Mr. McFadden’s. That being said, here’s a look at how the Gang Green did on draft weekend.
Day 1
Saturday was an interesting start to the festivities for GM Mike Tannenbaum and head coach Eric Mangini-or as I’ll refer to them for the rest of eternity as “Tangini.” The sixth pick of the draft brought little drama with Ohio State DE/OLB Vernon Gholston slipping down into the hands of New York.
This, in my opinion, was the worst situation for the Jets-but mind you, not a bad worst situation to be in at all. Had Run-DMC fallen to No. 6, New York would have had themselves a monumental steal. More than anything, Gang Green needs a legitimate playmaker-somebody that will rev the fans up, and at any point, can take a ball in between Nick Mangold and Alan Faneca, busting out a 65-yard touchdown run.
McFadden was scooped at four though, leaving Glenn Dorsey and Gholston both on the board.
If Dorsey had fallen, New York would have had an interesting predicament-unquestionably the top prospect overall on the board, sitting there, ripe for the picking.
Had Dorsey fallen, Tangini would have certainly received a plethora of phone calls offering a monumental amount to move to No. 6 and pick up the LSU lineman.
Instead though, the Chiefs jumped on Dorsey, leaving Gholston for New York. Granted, next to David Harris and across from Calvin Pace, the Jets could have done much worse.
Yet, for all the upside Gholston has, and all his measurements and Combine numbers, the former Buckeye could very well be a bust.
If you watch game tape from the past college season, Gholston took plays off, sometimes was largely absent from games, and at times had issues with run-stopping.
However, he was the only player in the country to figure out No. 1 pick Jake Long from Michigan, so his upside is sky high.
Later in the round is where the questions started for New York: the infamous trade up for Purdue TE Dustin Keller. First off, Jets fans, I, too, had a coronary when I heard the pick. Trading a valuable fourth round pick to move up six measly spots-what the heck? Keller may have been around when the Jets came to the plate in the second round, saving the team a fourth rounder.
Looking at Keller’s films, it is clear the guy has great hands, and may have been the best pass-catcher in the draft. Two problems with the pick, though. First off, New York has a passable TE in Chris Baker, then added former Packer Bubba Franks to the arsenal as a red zone threat. Why invest in a third tight end when Baker alone worked okay last year?
Also, as Jets fans saw later in the draft, Tangini was looking QB-see Eric Ainge. If a team is going to mortgage crucial picks in a draft to move up six spots with talents such as Brian Brohm and Chad Henne slipping down the board, why not take a first-round signal caller to challenge the mediocre Chad Pennington and Kellen Clemens in the offseason?
While Gholston and Keller are two players with phenomenal upsides, the Jets failed to cash in as much as they could have on Saturday, meaning a low mark for New York’s front office.
Day 1: C+
Day 2
As a result of the first day move, New York wound up with four second-day picks; one each in the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th rounds, the 5th rounder coming in a trade with the Packers.
Gang Green started off in San Jose State taking DB Dwight Lowery. It was no secret that selection Lowery provided New York an insurance plan at safety, cornerback and in the return game. In college, Lowery finished his career with 26 interceptions-half coming in the WAC, the other 13 coming in junior college. However, playing in a less-than-admirable conference means the success will undoubtedly take time to transition to the next level. Lowery is a player that may see time in Dime and some Nickel formations, but won’t play a major role with New York in 2008.
Next was the head-scratcher of the draft. Even more confusing than trading up six spots to select a third tight end was going with Ainge, a former Tennessee QB.
Yes, his numbers as a Volunteer set multiple school records, and he shined at times in the BCS SEC.
However, just as seemingly every Tennessee helmsman since a fella named Peyton Manning, Ainge’s arm is anything but impressive. Call him a bizarre-o Pennington-he may pass consistently, but the downfield threat is not there. So, instead of taking a top prospect earlier in the draft, Gang Green settled on a lifetime backup.
The final two selections for the draft surprisingly…made sense. In Round 6, Gang Green went to the pass-catching game for the second time in the draft, going with Kansas wideout Marcus Henry. At 6’4, 207 lbs., he possesses height for the red zone area. Henry will probably find himself in the game sparingly for the most part this season, as his 4.56 40 time is quite underwhelming.
Finally, Tangini opted to go with OT Nate Garner from Arkansas-one of the players most responsible for clearing the way for McFadden. Garner will find himself backing up Damien Woody and D’Brickashaw Ferguson for most of the year, with the possibility of transition to guard to help add depth to the offensive line. Granted, I was critical with the pick of Lowery as an insurance plan for the secondary-however, considering how shallow the O-Line was last year, taking a second-team All-SEC player can only help.
Day 2: B
Overall, the Jets added two instant impact players (Gholston and Keller), another player that could see some numbers as the year progresses (Henry), and a couple of long-term projects (Lowery, Ainge and Garner).
The draft was far from “sexy;” and in most occasions, opting for sure-things over playmakers in the draft is the smartest move. However, considering how lacking New York is in the star-player area, and considering what the draft could have been-potentially two franchise players in Brohm and McFadden-2008 was another disappointment for Gang Green.
Yes, I know I’m whining like the typical Jets fan, and booing as quickly as the draft day Radio City fans like to complain about New York. However, the Jets failed to fill a few key holes on draft day-namely a game-breaker-meaning the year was another incomplete one for the team’s front office.
Overall: C+