WR dept. ~ ~

[kelly]

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  Rich CiminiESPN Staff Writer

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This is the fourth installment of our position-by-position breakdown for theNew York Jets as we head to the April 28-30 draft:

Position: Wide receiver

Current personnel: Brandon Marshall, Eric Decker, Quincy Enunwa,Kenbrell Thompkins, Devin Smith, Jeremy Ross, Joe Anderson, Chandler Worthy.

Key newcomers: None.

Departures: Jeremy Kerley (cut/Detroit Lions), Chris Owusu (free agent).

Projected starters: Marshall, Decker.

Overview: Marshall and Decker are among the best receiving tandems in the league, but there's one important thing to know about offensive coordinator Chan Gailey: He loves to spread the field with wide receivers. In fact, the Jets led the league in four-receiver packages. Therefore, they need four competent players at the position. The quality of the current depth chart hinges on Smith, who suffered a late-season torn ACL. If he's not ready for the season, it'll leave the Jets without a true vertical threat. They could address receiver at some point in the draft. There are no super blue chips this year, so the top prospects could be available for the Jets at 20. It's not a need, but general manager Mike Maccagnan believes in the best-player-available philosophy.

The last wide receiver drafted: Smith was chosen last year in the second round and battled injuries pretty much from day one. He finished with only nine receptions for 115 yards and a touchdown.

Potential targets (projected round)

 

Need factor (based on a scale of 1 to 10): 5.

 

• Laquon Treadwell, Ole Miss (first round): Basically, he's a younger version of Marshall -- a big, physical target (6-foot-2, 221 pounds) who wins a lot of contested balls. He also drops a lot of passes -- nine of 91 catchable balls last season, according to Pro Football Focus. Treadwell's stock has slipped because of a sluggish time in the 40 -- 4.6 seconds, raising concerns about his ability to separate. He dominated on slants, catching 71 percent of his passes last year on that particular route. He finished with 82 catches, 1,153 yards and 11 touchdowns. He made a pre-draft visit to the Jets, so there's some degree of interest.

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• Josh Doctson, TCU (first round): He has serious hops -- a 41-inch vertical jump. That ability, coupled with his 6-foot-2 frame, makes Doctson an automatic threat in the red zone. He doesn't have elite speed, but he's still relatively effective on vertical routes. He also had good short-area quickness for a receiver his size. He played in a pass-happy offense, resulting in big numbers -- 79 catches, 1,327 yards and 14 touchdowns. Can he beat press coverage? That's a question.

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• Corey Coleman, Baylor (first round): You draft him, and you don't have to worry about a lack of speed on offense. This dude can fly -- a 4.37 at his pro day. He's only 5-foot-11, but his speed and yards-after-catch ability make up for his lack of size. His hands are a bit shaky; 17 drops over the last two seasons. He can return punts, which adds to his value. He had 74 receptions for 1,363 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2015.

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• Devin Fuller, UCLA (sixth/seventh round): He wasn't very productive (24 catches last season), but he's a burner and can return punts and kickoffs. The Jets brought him in for a pre-draft visit.

>     http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/59873/jets-have-1-2-punch-at-receiver-but-need-depth-and-speed

[kelly]

Road to the Jets : WR Devin Smith

Former Ohio State Wideout's Draft Story Started When He Was Six-Years Old

 

> http://www.newyorkjets.com/videos/videos/Road-to-the-Jets-WR-Devin-Smith/33aa6484-b04f-4b43-915c-217ac305467f

[Big Blocker]

It sure would be nice if D Smith stepped up, but I have a bad feeling about him.  Maybe Thompkins can.