JetNation Posted October 22, 2013 Share Posted October 22, 2013 In a recent episode of JetNation Radio (October 15th) I heard my colleague Dennis Agapito talking about the success of the third round draft picks across the league. It got me thinking that I should look into the past five years draft classes and point out some of the players who are making an impact on their teams. Keep in mind that the Jets will likely have two third round picks, one is still conditional with the Buccaneers for the Darrelle Revis trade, in the upcoming 2014 NFL draft. Third round draft picks usually aren’t the best at combine testing, didn’t have a good pro day or possible come from a non-elite football program, but can end up as impact players. They know how to play the game and many of these mid-round picks overachieve their draft position. Due to the fact that they may not have the fastest 40-time or didn’t bench enough reps at the combine, these athletes slipped into the third round, a round that nothing is guaranteed as far as a roster spot. They are not all Pro-Bowl caliber players but many have had a positive impact on their team’s success. With a lot of talk about trading a draft pick for a guy like Cleveland Browns wide receiver (who is one off-field issue away from being suspended for an entire year), Jets general manager John Idzik needs to be mindful of potentially trading any of his two third round picks. The following players are from the past five drafts and are making an impact on either side of the ball for their respective teams: 2009 Draft Position/Player Team Drafted/Current Team Overall OG – Luis Vasquez San Diego Chargers(now Denver Broncos) 78 WR – Mike Wallace Pittsburgh Steelers (now Miami Dolphins) 84 DB – Lardarius Webb Baltimore Ravens 88 TE – Jared Cook Tennessee Titans (now St. Louis Rams) 89 2010 Draft Position/Player Team Drafted/Current Team Overall S – Major Wright Chicago Bears 75 WR – Brandon Lafell Carolina Panthers 78 WR – Emmanuel Sanders Pittsburgh Steelers 82 WR – Eric Decker Denver Broncos 87 LB – Navorro Bowman San Francisco 49ers 97 TE – Tony Moeaki Kansas City Chiefs 93 TE – Jimmy Graham New Orleans Saints 95 2011 Draft Position/Player Team Drafted/Current Team Overall RB – Demarco Murray Dallas Cowboys 71 RD – Steven Ridley New England Patriots 73 WR – Vincent Brown San Diego Chargers 82 2012 Draft Position/Player Team Drafted/Current Team Overall WR – T.J. Graham Buffalo Bills 69 QB – Russell Wilson Seattle Seahawks 75 LB – Demario Davis New York Jets 77 WR – Mohamed Sanu Cincinnati Bengals 83 QB – Nick Foles Philadelphia Eagles 88 WR – T.Y. Hilton Indianapolis Colts 92 2013 Draft Position/Player Team Drafted/Current Team Overall S – Tyrann Mathieu Arizona Cardinals 69 S – T.J. McDonald St. Louis Rams 71 WR – Terrance Williams Dallas Cowboys 74 WR – Keenan Allen San Diego Chargers 76 TE – Jordan Reed Washington Redskins 85 The Jets have to be smart about trades as the deadline approaches (Oct. 29). They should keep as many draft picks as possible, unless the deal is for a low risk, high reward player, which most teams will not give up. Third round picks are particularly important because of the recent string of success teams have had with players in this round and the low cost contracts they receive. The Jets probably have two of them and will most definitely use the picks on players that could have an immediate impact with some phase of the team. Follow Me: View the full article Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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