The New York Jets got off to a very surprising start to last season. They were 5-4 before their bye and seemed to be contending for a playoff spot in the weak AFC conference. After their bye week, the Jets went on to end the season 8-8 and miss the playoffs. Their biggest concerns were at the skill positions on the offensive end. During free agency they tried to fix those problems. First they signed Decker who will finally give them the WR they have long needed for the last three seasons. They continued fixing the offense by signing Mike Vick as their QB. I am almost certain that Vick will start at QB but the fact is people are still wondering whether it will be Smith or Vick starting signals that the QB position hasn’t been solved. On the defensive end they have always been solid but it has usually been more balanced. Last season the Jets rush defense was ranked 8th in the league while their pass defense was ranked 22nd which suggests the secondary could use some help.
Draft Needs: WR, CB, RB
Wide Receiver: Although the Jets signed Eric Decker, which was an important move since he seemed to be the best available receiver in the beginning of free agency. After locking him down, now the Jets need to find another receiver to play by him. They may have missed out on DeSean Jackson but the draft has plenty of talent at the WR position. I expect the Jets to use their first round pick on a WR, with Sammy Watkins and Mike Evans likely off the board by the 18th pick I can see the Jets taking Odell Beckham Jr. with that pick and probably reach for another receiver in the later rounds.
Cornerback: As I mentioned earlier the Jets pass defense was lacking substance last season. Losing Antonio Cromartie doesn’t help the case. They still have their first round pick from last year Dee Milliner but he didn’t show much growth in the league last year. I expect the Jets to target another CB early in this years draft and with the team seeming to always think defense first they may do it with the 18th pick.
Running Back: The Jets have always been a run first offense and people have continually knocked them for not growing with the league and becoming pass first. The thing we have to understand is that the team who won the Super Bowl recently was a run first team as well. The difference is that the Seahawks have a stud RB while the Jets went between Ivory and Powell as their starting RB’s. Now this need may change depending on whether the Jets sign Chris Johnson or not. A lot of people are assuming this will be done but remember the Jets missed out on other big name free agents like Revis and Jackson so if they also miss out on CJ2K then they will need to draft a RB, likely in the second round.
