Back in March I wrote an article detailing the Jets biggest needs this offseason. Based on that list the Jets did a great job on the first two days of the draft, satisfying two of their three biggest needs. With the 30th overall pick the Jets selected Muhammad Wilkerson a large and versatile Defensive End out of Temple. With their next pick, the 30th pick of the 3rd round the Jets selected massive Defensive Tackle, Kenrick Ellis out of Hampton. With these two picks the Jets picked up two players who have the potential to be playing upfront on the Jets defensive line for many years to come. Now for a closer look at the Jets two big picks in the 2011 NFL Draft.
Muhammad Wilkerson: Weighing in at 6'4" and 315 pounds Wilkerson is a very powerful player at defensive end. His combination of size and speed sets Wilkerson up to be the perfect player to replace the aging and potentially departing Shaun Ellis. Wilkerson has the ability to command double teams on running plays and also with his 9.5 sacks last year at Temple, will give the Jets more of a pass rush then you generally see from 3-4 defensive ends. When the Jets were able to get Wilkerson with the 30th pick Mel Kiper said that it was one of the best picks of the first round. I tend to agree and I think Wilkerson has the potential to step in and start on the defensive front line on day one.
Kenrick Ellis: I see Kenrick Ellis as the rare player at nose guard who has the potential to completely dominate the game. At 6’5” and 346 pounds he has incredible size, great hands and has quicker feet then most people give him credit for. Also his ability to get after the quarterback may have him reminding Jets fans of a healthy Kris Jenkins. The Knock against Ellis is that he may not be able to adjust to the leap up to the level of competition he will be facing, going from playing at Hampton to playing in the NFL. However, if Ellis is able to keep his weight in check and stay low when he bursts out of his stance there is no telling how good he can be. As I will explain later, there is some off the field baggage that comes along with Ellis and how that shakes out will dictate the Jets overall grade for the draft.
After taking care of the defensive line with their first two picks the Jets went all offense with their last four picks in the draft. In the 4th round the Jets added to an already crowded backfield by selecting Running Back Bilal Powell out of Louisville. Then in the 5th rounds the Jets added assurance at the Wide Receiver position with Jeremy Kerley out of TCU. With no pick in the 6th round the Jets were able to get a potential steal with their first pick in the 7th round with Alabama QB Greg McElroy. Finally with their last pick of the draft the Jets selected WR Scotty McKnight out of Colorado.
Now for a closer look at the Jets offensive picks from day 3 of the draft:
Bilal Powell: Powell is a patient runner whose vision is his most highly rated trait. He has average speed, but is a good North-South runner who is quick to accelerate upfield. He is also considered a very good blocker in pass protection. The biggest knock on Powell is his lateral quickness and there is some concern about his ability to cut side to side in order to get through traffic. Powell's pick has fueled speculation about Tomlinson's future and he would likely be the 3rd running back behind Shonn Greene and Joe McKnight if Tomlinson were to be let go. However the Jets have given every indication that they expect Tomlinson to be back next year.
Jeremy Kerley: Joining the Jets out of TCU, Kerley was a need pick. He is undersized but is a great route runner. His greatest contributions to the Jets however may come on special teams as he seen as a potential kick returner. The Jets must have seen something that they liked in Kerley because they traded up 8 spots to select him. This may be a sign that the Brad Smith days in a Jets uniform are over. Along with his skills as a kick returner, Kerley’s speed, quickness, elusiveness and route running capabilities make him an ideal candidate to be a slot receiver.
Greg McElroy: Some may question the Jets selection of a quarterback considering they already have 3 backups to Mark Sanchez under contract in Mark Brunell, Kellen Clemens and Kevin O'Connell. However we can only expect that the veteran Brunell will only be around for one, maybe two more years. Also Clemens still sees himself as a starter in the NFL and with the Sanchise already having that role locked up for years to come there is no telling how much longer Clemens will happily remain with the Jets. In McElroy the Jets get a proven winner. He broke his ribs in the 2010 National Championship game but fought through the pain to lead Alabama to victory. With Tutelage from Brunell for the next year or two McElroy has the potential to develop into the kind of backup that Jet fans can feel comfortable with if Sanchez were to go down with injury. Also, it doesn't hurt that, as ESPN's Rich Cimini pointed out, McElroy already idolizes legendary Jets QB Joe Namath, considering he wore #12 at Alabama in honor of Broadway Joe.
Scotty McKnight: I must admit that I do not know much about the Jets last pick in the draft besides the fact that he is a good route runner who seems to have a unique ability for getting open. The most important thing about the Jets picking McKnight is that he is a long time friend of Mark Sanchez. I was clued into this fact by Rich Cimini's blog article Buddy System: Sanchez, McKnight. Apparently Sanchez and McKnight were such good childhood friends that Sanchez and his family were at McKnight's house on draft day when McKnight got the call that he was headed to Gang Green. The Two friends have never played on a team together but Cimini points out that they have developed a great chemistry through countless hours of training together throughout their childhood. The Jets front office is probably hoping that with this chemistry and McKnight’s knack for getting open, Sanchez can turn McKnight into a successful steal of a slot receiver for the Jets.
Overall I think that this was a very good draft. The Jets filled two of their biggest needs with Wilkerson and Ellis. Then on offense the Jets were able to provide insurance in case they cannot sign all three of the free agent wide receivers. Hopefully now with Kerley seemingly to replace Brad Smith at kick returner, the Jets will be able to find enough money to resign Braylon Edwards and Santonio Holmes. Running back is a position that you can never have enough talent at considering the pounding they take play in and play out. With Tomlinson not getting any younger and Joe McKnight having a silent rookie season with the exception of his game against Buffalo, hopefully Powell can help the Jets sure up that position for years to come.
Now for the off the field issue's with Kenrick Ellis that I mentioned previously. He is currently facing assault charges and has the potential to be facing jail time. This sounds pretty bad but in reality it should end up being a non issue. From everything that I have heard and read about this issue, it appears that Ellis probably won't even have to go to trial. Simply, he punched someone in the face out of self defense because he was protecting his girlfriend from someone who had attacked her.
Failing to sure up the safety position, add depth to the offensive line or draft a blocking tight end to back up Dustin Keller, who is more of a receiving threat then those currently on the roster is what kept the Jets from receiving a grade in the A's. So considering that the pending court case seems like it will turn out to be a non-issue I am going to give the Jets a grade of a B+ for the draft. However if Ellis's assault charge does end up becoming an issue then the Jets grade would slide from a B+ down to a B-.
Jets 2011 Draft Grade: B+
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