New York Jets - AFC East, 2008 Draft Selections & Prospects
New York Jets
The Draft Was
... Solid considering the lack of selections. They got the
end with the biggest upside (Vernon Gholston) and the No. 1
tight end (Dustin Keller), and a fifth rounder on Erik Ainge
could turn out to be a major steal if he's given a year of
playing time to get his feet wet. CB Dwight Lowery is a
boom-or-bust pick in the fourth round. Best Value Pick: Vernon Gholston, DE Ohio State. 1st
Round. No one will ever be honest about their draft boards, but
it's safe to say Gholston was in the top three of on at least
half of them and number one overall on a few. Biggest Reach: Dwight Lowery, CB San Jose State. 4th
Round. A limited corner, Lowery is a bit of a flier considering
the Jets only ended up having six picks. They could regret not
taking DT Dre Moore, who went two picks later to Tampa Bay. They Should've ... Gotten a running back. Thomas Jones
isn't the answer, and if Darren McFadden is a superstar and
Gholston busts, Jets fans will never forget what might have
been. More should've been done to get a third round pick to take
a back.
#
Pick
6
6
1st Round
Vernon Gholston, DE Ohio State
It's all about the motor. If Gholston has the fire lit under him
and goes full-tilt all the time, he's the best defensive player
in the draft and he could be the best overall talent available.
The question will be his game-in-game-out consistency. Oh sure,
when it's Monday Night Football and the spotlight is on, he'll
blow up and come up with the game needed to make a big splash
and create a Pro Bowl buzz, but will he show up for that
non-descript 1:00 early November game against Buffalo? Versatile
enough to be used as an outside linebacker and more than strong
enough to be an every down end, he can do it all for a defense
and when he's on, he'll be unstoppable. He has safety
athleticism and proved at the Combine he's as strong as any
offensive lineman. While he's not the sure thing Chris Long is,
there's a much, much bigger upside. CFN Projection: Top Ten Overall
CFN Position Rank: 1
30
30
1st Round (from
Green Bay)Dustin
Keller, TE Purdue
Considered around the third or fourth best tight end prospect
after the season, Keller blew everyone away at the Combine
running a 4.57 and proving to be the most athletic of the bunch.
While he's not going to block anyone and he doesn't have
prototypical size, coming in at 6-2 and around 245 pounds, he
has the potential to be a dangerous receiver with the potential
to grow into a plus for r the ground game. CFN Projection: Second Round
CFN Position Rank: 1
14
113
4th Round
(from trade)
Dwight Lowery, CB/FS San Jose State
Coming over from the JUCO ranks, Lowery made a huge splash with
nine interceptions as a junior and four last year. He's a good
pass defender and made the most of his opportunities, but he'll
have to work his way into a safety role to stick around the
league for a while. He's not a good man-on-man defender and he
doesn't have the speed to become a starting NFL corner. CFN Projection: Seventh Round
CFN Position Rank: 26 (as a CB)
27
162
5th Round
(from trade)Erik
Ainge, QB Tennessee
Think a less awkward Bernie Kosar. While he doesn't have the
rocket arm the NFL types would like and he's not mechanically
sound enough to be a star, he could be the type of backup
quarterback who sits on a bench for two years, comes in and has
a huge four game stretch, and then cashes in on the free agent
market. No, he's not going to throw a pea through a cement wall
like a Joe Flacco, but he proved at Tennessee under offensive
coordinator David Cutcliffe that he could get the ball in a
position for his receivers to do big things. He had a great
receiving corps as a junior and was fantastic. He had a
developing, young receiving corps as a senior and he was even
better. He makes his receivers look better than they actually
are. CFN Projection: Fourth to Fifth Round CFN
Position Rank: 8
5
171
6th Round
Marcus Henry, WR Kansas With great size and decent speed, he has good measurables.
The 6-4, 207-pounder has 4.57 speed and is smooth like butter.
However, he doesn't use his speed well and doesn't use his size
to beat up defensive backs for the ball. He needs to become a
more physical player, but overall he has good upside. CFN Projection: Free
Agent CFN
Position Rank: NR
4
211
7th Round
Nate Garner, OT Arkansas
HUGE. At 6-6 and 335 pounds, he has the size to be a powerful
right tackle and could even be moved inside a little bit, but
he's a developmental prospect. With no athleticism whatsoever,
he'll be ripped apart if he ever has to face a speed rusher. He
has potential as a big-time run blocker. CFN Projection: Free Agent CFN
Position Rank: 29
