JOE DOUGLAS CRUSHES FIRST DRAFT AS JETS' GM - TDN

[Here we go TB12]

BY: Joe Marino - The Draft Network
 

Grading draft classes in the immediate days following the event is an unfair exercise. Every team loves what they were able to accomplish and there's optimism in all 32 franchises. 

It will take a few years before grading even makes sense given the unknowns of how prospects will pan out. But if you’ve spent the last year evaluating the players, grading drafts relative to the way you perceived prospects is completely fair. 

 

Jets general manager Joe Douglas put together in his first draft with the team, and when examining the 2020 classes, I'm left blown away by what he was able to accomplish relative to my personal draft board. 

Below are each of the New York’s 2020 picks and where I had them ranked on my board, the individual rankings relative to my board are noted in parentheses: 

• No. 11: Mekhi Becton, OT, Louisville (16th overall)
• No. 59: Denzel Mims, WR, Baylor (32nd)
• No. 68: Ashtyn Davis, S, Cal (42nd)
• No. 79: Jabari Zuniga, EDGE, Florida (97th) 
• No. 120: La’Mical Perine, RB, Florida (125th)
• No. 125: James Morgan, QB, FIU (135th)
• No. 129: Cameron Clark, OL, Charlotte (142nd) 
• No. 158: Bryce Hall, CB, Virginia (58th)
• No. 191: Braden Mann, P, Texas A&M (P1) 

Douglas and I are on the same page when it comes to the valuation of the players he selected in Mims, Davis and Hall. 

With needs along the offensive line, wide receiver, cornerback, edge rusher and overall depth, Douglas was wise to prioritize the offensive line first and draft Becton with his top pick. The depth of the class at other positions aligned nicely with the Jets’ needs; so, landing one of the premium talents at offensive tackle was the correct way to go with pick No. 11. 

Becton is a rare blend of size, mobility and power with the upside to dominate. His ability to open rushing lanes and skill set in pass protection makes him New York’s most important offensive catalysts for quarterback Sam Darnold and running back Le’Veon Bell performing well. 

The Jets landed Mims at No. 59. He was the 13th wide receiver to come off the board. Mims is the most gifted receiver in the class from a physical traits standpoint and hauled in 182 receptions for 2,901 yards and 28 touchdowns across his last three seasons at Baylor. He has the size, speed, agility, ball skills and physicality to win at every level of the field. 

Mims' ability to win on the outside should improve the Jets’ offensive spacing in the passing game and open up opportunities for Jamison Crowder and Breshad Perriman to play in their optimal roles. Mims is an elite blocker and that will help New York create more offense as a unit. 

The Jets have a top safety tandem in Jamal Adams and Marcus Maye, but that doesn’t mean the Davis selection was ill-advised. Maye and Adams are versatile defenders and the arrival of Davis enables that to be accentuated. He is a true centerfielder that thrives in deep zones and has exceptional ball skills. Playing Davis over top of Maye and Adams opens up a world of possibilities for defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, who typically likes to keep a safety deep off the ball. 

Davis is tailor-made for that role and it’s important to keep in mind that both Maye and Adams are playing under expiring contracts. 

New York was in need of more depth and upside at edge rusher and that’s exactly what it received with Zuniga. While he’s a bit raw, Zuniga offers an intriguing blend of burst, power and urgency. His senior season didn’t go as planned due to an ankle injury but he has the type of makeup that is perfect for the Jets’ defensive scheme, serving as an attack-style rusher from multiple alignments. 

The Jets' options behind Bell were underwhelming entering the draft but the selection of Perine changes that. He is a do-it-all back that can run inside or outside, catch the football and pass protect. Perine led Florida in rushing in each of the last three seasons and is the perfect backup to Bell. 

Morgan was my favorite Day 3 quarterback and has some exciting physical tools. With David Fales set to backup Darnold, investing in competition for him was a smart move by Douglas at No. 125. 

There’s a good chance that when reflecting back on the Jets’ class in four years, the player who is the biggest steal is Clark. He was a college left tackle and has a bright future at left guard. Clark is a nasty run blocker that dominated Clemson’s defensive linemen when Charlotte faced the Tigers in 2019. He has heavy hands, a powerful core, strong legs and a desire to put his opponents on the ground. 

Clark's technique has to improve in pass protection but the pairing of him and Becton on the left side of the offensive line is exciting to consider as the two develop. 

Hall deserved to be a much higher pick but an ankle injury shortened his senior season and destroyed his draft stock. Hall was a First Team All-ACC selection as a junior in 2018 and led the nation with 21 passes defended. After high school wide receiver, Hall blossomed into a top tier corner who delivers an exciting package of size, physicality, athleticism and elite ball skills.

Mann was a terrific selection for someone who greatly values the punting game and how much flipping field position and pinning teams deep matters. He was a consistent college punter that controlled the ball well with plenty of distance on his punts, often out-kicking his coverage because his leg is so strong. Mann can handle kickoff duties and logged 10 solo tackles over the last two years. Talking specialist isn’t appealing for many, but he makes the Jets a better football team. 

With Tom Brady no longer in the AFC East, parity within the division for the first time in 20 years. The Jets’ 2020 draft class positions them well from a talent standpoint on how needs were addressed to compete

[Jets723]

Other than the Morgan pick this was a great draft.  Obviously it’s been pretty highly praised by many people.  I understand some wanted more WR but to be honest the only other ones I wanted were off the board early and we had to many other holes that needed to be addressed 

[fullblast]

Mims is the most gifted receiver in the class from a physical traits standpoint 

 

That's pretty high praise. He definitely measures well, hopefully it all translates over.

[Barry McCockinner]

Exciting to think about Clark and Becton playing next to each other paving lanes for whoever is the back.

[Jets723]

13 minutes ago, fullblast said:

 

 

That's pretty high praise. He definitely measures well, hopefully it all translates over.

Many people had him as a first rounder or very early 2nd rounder. I know some people are worried that he dropped so far but honestly I’ve seen many very good receivers drop in drafts.  I’m just happy it benefited us for a change 

[JetsFanShawn]

they desrive to go with all the picks 

[jetstream23]

Looks like the Jets got 5 of DraftNetwork's Top 100 prospects.....unless I missed someone.

https://thedraftnetwork.com/articles/nfl-draft-predictive-big-board-2020

Becton, Mims, Davis, Zuniga, Hall

 

[Mackman55]

2 hours ago, Jets723 said:

Other than the Morgan pick this was a great draft.  Obviously it’s been pretty highly praised by many people.  I understand some wanted more WR but to be honest the only other ones I wanted were off the board early and we had to many other holes that needed to be addressed 

We won't know how good the Morgen pick was for 2-3 years. I thought we took him a little early too but the kid has a world of talent and after this draft, I'm not second guessing JD on anything.

[Larz]

[Jets723]

57 minutes ago, Mackman55 said:

We won't know how good the Morgen pick was for 2-3 years. I thought we took him a little early too but the kid has a world of talent and after this draft, I'm not second guessing JD on anything.

I like the player but my only issue is the spot

[FidelioJet]

I would like to see nothing more than Clark win the Left guard job.  

[BigRy56]

Joe Douglas may win Executive of the Year

[GQMartin]

4 hours ago, BigRy56 said:

Joe Douglas may win Executive of the Year

Does it mean anything to Jets fans considering Maccagnan received the honor as well?

[Dcat]

6 hours ago, Jets723 said:

I like the player but my only issue is the spot

     You underestimate his appeal. Several teams liked him and it seems JD has his finger on the pulse of everyone else out there. He seems to be much more connected to others in the know than was Mac.  
     The trade down from 48 to 59 literally yielded Morgan and Clark.  I like both picks.  They were gravy. Pick Mims at 48, we get neither.  If that's what JD wanted there, it is A-O-K by me. He earned it.  Plus, I like the picks. In fact I'm really happy with the Clark pick.  Both picks will help us one day.  

[UnknownJetFan]

6 hours ago, Jets723 said:

I like the player but my only issue is the spot

I keep hearing that but with all the picks NE had they would have picked Morgan at the end of the 4th or in the 5th. Keeping him from them helps as much as having him for ourselves. 

[UnknownJetFan]

35 minutes ago, Dcat said:

     You underestimate his appeal. Several teams liked him and it seems JD has his finger on the pulse of everyone else out there. He seems to be much more connected to others in the know than was Mac.  
     The trade down from 48 to 59 literally yielded Morgan and Clark.  I like both picks.  They were gravy. Pick Mims at 48, we get neither.  If that's what JD wanted there, it is A-O-K by me. He earned it.  Plus, I like the picks. In fact I'm really happy with the Clark pick.  Both picks will help us one day.  

Plus we get NE's 6th rounder next year.

[Jets723]

49 minutes ago, Dcat said:

     You underestimate his appeal. Several teams liked him and it seems JD has his finger on the pulse of everyone else out there. He seems to be much more connected to others in the know than was Mac.  
     The trade down from 48 to 59 literally yielded Morgan and Clark.  I like both picks.  They were gravy. Pick Mims at 48, we get neither.  If that's what JD wanted there, it is A-O-K by me. He earned it.  Plus, I like the picks. In fact I'm really happy with the Clark pick.  Both picks will help us one day.  

I don’t hate it but just would if rather something else.  Still one of the best drafts in the league 

[Jets723]

16 minutes ago, UnknownJetFan said:

I keep hearing that but with all the picks NE had they would have picked Morgan at the end of the 4th or in the 5th. Keeping him from them helps as much as having him for ourselves. 

I get that.  I don’t hate it.  I like the player.  

[GREENBEAN]

26 minutes ago, UnknownJetFan said:

Plus we get NE's 6th rounder next year.

Which we gave to them for Demarious Thomas   

I'm not sure if it's the exact pick (probably not) but still. It was great for JD to swing that little bit extra to get something back for his necessity moves last season. 

[GreenReaper]

9 hours ago, jetstream23 said:

Looks like the Jets got 5 of DraftNetwork's Top 100 prospects.....unless I missed someone.

https://thedraftnetwork.com/articles/nfl-draft-predictive-big-board-2020

Becton, Mims, Davis, Zuniga, Hall

 

Roger that?

[GREENBEAN]

14 minutes ago, Jets723 said:

I don’t hate it but just would if rather something else.  Still one of the best drafts in the league 

I hate the player selection. I've been to FIU games. That place is an abyss and I struggle to see the value of grabbing a QB from that school. I get the Pats piece, but I wouldn't place all that much value of taking a player because BB wanted him. I LOVED this draft but there were some serously talented guys on the board that would have helped us much more than Morgasm imo. @bla bla bla said a good point on the talking Jets panel tonight. JD won 2 of his 3 SB rings with a backup QB so I can understand why he wanted to grab a QB. and Gase wants his long term backup to mold in his own image behind Sam. I get it but I hate the selection and where he was selected. 

F for the Morgan pick for me! 

[RutgersJetFan]

This is literally what we say about every new GM's first draft.

[Vader]

We always win the offseason and feel amazeballs come May.

Tune back in November.

[Dupe]

I agree, Joe Douglas crushed it.  The roster needed substantial fortification and got it. 

[Irish Jet]

4 hours ago, RutgersJetFan said:

This is literally what we say about every new GM's first draft.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000491832/article/afc-east-draft-grades-mike-maccagnan-crushes-first-jets-draft

Quote

1) NEW YORK JETS: General manager Mike Maccagnan deserves kudos for his astute management of the draft board last weekend. The first-time decision maker showed exceptional discipline and poise while acquiring blue-chip talent throughout the draft. Landing Leonard Williams was certainly an unexpected event, but taking the best player available could help the Jets field a dominant defense for the next five years. With Lorenzo Mauldin also coming on board as a third-round pick, Gang Green fortified its top unit with smart drafting. Second-round selection Devin Smith gives the Jets' aerial attack a vertical stretch receiver. His speed and explosiveness will open up the field for Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker, while giving Geno Smith a big-play option on every play. Bryce Petty will not compete for the starting QB job in 2015, but matching the Baylor standout with a creative play designer (Chan Gailey) could pay off for New York down the road. GRADE: A

Literally indeed. The exact same phrase lol. 

Loved the "exceptional discipline" that was required to get Leonard Williams to fall to 6. 

[mrcoops]

6 hours ago, Dcat said:

The trade down from 48 to 59 literally yielded Morgan and Clark.  I like both picks.  They were gravy. Pick Mims at 48, we get neither. 

Exactly. Half the board was killing JD for not taking Mims at 48, and trading down.

Then he got Mims at 59 anyway, and used his two extra 4th rounders to take Morgan and Clark.

He was playing with house money and essentially got two guys he liked for free in the 4th round - both of whom are good prospects who should provide good value to the team.

[redlichtie]

15 hours ago, Jets723 said:

Many people had him as a first rounder or very early 2nd rounder. I know some people are worried that he dropped so far but honestly I’ve seen many very good receivers drop in drafts.  I’m just happy it benefited us for a change 

Agreed and because there were so many good prospects at WR it’s just possible he lost out by a narrow margin in some of those earlier  picks...on another year he likely goes higher....well that’s the glass half full way I intend to look at it. 
loved him throughout the pre-draft process and was overjoyed when we got him at 59. 
we are long overdue catching a break in the 2nd round so let’s hope Joe D changes the long standing culture of failure we’ve endured with 2nd round picks....I’m sure we are not alone, it may be a league wide trait but the 2nd Is such a key area we need to be finding more starters and instant contributors like Marcus Maye and David Harris and less Jace Amaro’s 

[Bruce Harper]

I hate the player selection. I've been to FIU games. That place is an abyss and I struggle to see the value of grabbing a QB from that school. I get the Pats piece, but I wouldn't place all that much value of taking a player because BB wanted him. I LOVED this draft but there were some serously talented guys on the board that would have helped us much more than Morgasm imo. [mention=32668]bla bla bla[/mention] said a good point on the talking Jets panel tonight. JD won 2 of his 3 SB rings with a backup QB so I can understand why he wanted to grab a QB. and Gase wants his long term backup to mold in his own image behind Sam. I get it but I hate the selection and where he was selected. 
F for the Morgan pick for me! 

Because you’ve been there and you don’t like the school?


Sent from my iPhone using JetNation.com mobile app

[slats]

2 hours ago, Irish Jet said:

Literally indeed. The exact same phrase lol. 

Loved the "exceptional discipline" that was required to get Leonard Williams to fall to 6. 

Hey, in Mac's defense, if those had been good players that would've been a very good draft. 

[32EBoozer]

If GB can take a QB in the 1st or 2nd (I forget) I’m ok with a 4th rd. development QB to light a fire under Sam’s ass. The mono pissed me off. 
You're the team leader. Quit kissing spring break girls in Daytona Beach. JD expecting big things from Sam or next man up. Accountability  

[RutgersJetFan]

6 hours ago, Irish Jet said:

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000491832/article/afc-east-draft-grades-mike-maccagnan-crushes-first-jets-draft

Literally indeed. The exact same phrase lol. 

Loved the "exceptional discipline" that was required to get Leonard Williams to fall to 6. 

Do Idzik now

[rangerous]

imo there should be no issues with the morgan pick.  he's going to back up darnold and move fales to third qb.  the point is they needed a decent back up and just how many free agents would've come cheap enough or even be interested enough.  semian should've played much better than he did (before he broke his ankle).  he seemed uninterested and not up to the task.  so who else is out there?  flacco? superman?  both of these guys are either done or done.

[Jetsfan80]

On 4/28/2020 at 10:12 PM, GQMartin said:

Does it mean anything to Jets fans considering Maccagnan received the honor as well?

Macc only won that award because he went for the instant gratification route in '15.  It was a fun season, but it was the last bit of fun we'd have in his tenure.

JD is slow-playing the rebuild, and that's the right call.  We're a 6-7 win team next year unless Darnold explodes.  No way he wins Exec of the year if that's the result.  But the moves he's made make it so 2021 and beyond should be a lot of fun.  

[Prez33]

We won’t know until they play the games. But I thought JD did a good job of filling holes on this roster. And many of his mid round picks were highly rated players among most analysts. his maneuvering around, accumulating additional picks was masterful. 
 

 

[slats]

25 minutes ago, Jetsfan80 said:

Macc only won that award because he went for the instant gratification route in '15.  It was a fun season, but it was the last bit of fun we'd have in his tenure.

JD is slow-playing the rebuild, and that's the right call.  We're a 6-7 win team next year unless Darnold explodes.  No way he wins Exec of the year if that's the result.  But the moves he's made make it so 2021 and beyond should be a lot of fun.  

In one year, I think he's done a really nice job improving the team's depth and raising the floor as it were. The draft added a couple immediate potential stars in Becton and Mims, then continued to fill out the depth with a few picks who could be starters within two years.

Davis will be a starter next year, the Jets aren't paying both Adams and Maye. If Bryce Hall holds up, he could be a starter this season. Guys like Perine and Zuniga may never be more than situational guys, but they should contribute right away. Clark is the kind of developmental OL I like in general, I'd try to take an athletic OL late every year. No complaints about the punter. 

Like you said, I don't expect a huge jump this year, but I do like the direction they're headed in.