NFL Draft: New York Jets’ best options for Day Three

‘Best’ is subjective, but I’ll try my ‘best’ to be objective.

The Jets enter Day Three, having filled positions of need…

…but GM John Idzik didn’t mortgage the future of his team to just win-now. The New York Jets clearly stuck their board on Day Two, selecting TE Jace Amaro and CB Dexter McDougle. Amaro provides the Jets with a little ‘edginess’ on offence, while the undersized McDougle will look to make up for his small stature with speed and man-coverage capability.

Going into the final day of the draft, most teams shift gears and begin to look towards holes on the roster, as opposed to solely best players available.

My best fits for the Jets

Christian Jones – LB – FL St: David Harris and Calvin Pace had career revivals last season, but they’re both reaching the last miles of their Jets marathon. It’s a good time to groom future linebacking candidates, as seen in Demario Davis, and Jones would be a great addition.

The Florida State project has sideline-to-sideline speed and coverage ability, a solid build in his 6’3″, 240 lbs frame, and is a sure tackler. His large wingspan allows him to better set-the-edge, while possessing a unique ability to actually make the ‘arm tackle’. You’d like to see him better take advantage of his size and power through the line, but that could come with the right coaching. He has the ability to transition into ILB or OLB.

Kevin Norwood – WR – Alabama: While the receiver class has thinned before Jets fans eyes, there still are some nice chess pieces for the Mornhinweg offence. Norwood (6’2″, 198 lbs) is undervalued, perhaps due to being worked in an over-saturated Alabama offence. He was a nice red zone threat for the Crimson Tide, in 2013, catching seven TDs.

I really like his ‘down-pat’ catching ability; Norwood is your by-the-book definition of a possession receiver. While he may not be the burner the Jets might be looking for, he does add reliability and great character. (Plus, maybe they have higher faith in Jacoby Ford?)

Tajh Boyd – QB- Clemson: Yup, QB ain’t a need, but that won’t stop me. Boyd makes sense for the Jets, as their offence slowly shifts to a more varied playbook, including read-option and pistol plays. Mornhinweg likes his wrinkles and Rex likes his Clemson guys (son is a walk-on WR).

On Boyd, specifically, he was one of the higher-rated QBs going into the 2013 season, but his accuracy issues were exposed by the better teams in the NCAA. He tries to put the game ‘in-his-hands’, sometimes going from gunslinger to mistake-maker. However, there is plenty of upside with Boyd, as he has dealt with the spotlight, showcasing strong leadership abilities and getting the best play out of those around him.