Who were the “big” picks the first draft you remember paying attention to?

[Jet_Engine1]

1 hour ago, slimjasi said:

Did you want Marino?  You were upset at all the Jets passed on him? 

I was 12. I didn't know sh*t about either of them. 😆 

[Larz]

Just now, southparkcpa said:

Me too….. i was like who??? Where the Fukk is UC Davis???   We suck at the draft.  

Exactly I was about 15 years old, had read the papers leading up to the draft, and had no idea who he was lol

[RoadFan]

Kyle Brady over Sapp.
 

The audacity of the franchise to make that decision in front of its own fans…

[johnnysd]

2 hours ago, HawkeyeJet said:

Thanks for sharing.  How people took the draft in before it became a huge deal interests me for whatever reason.  I would have loved hearing people dissect that 83 QB class in real time.  
 

Sporting News is probably the biggest singular thing that got me hooked into pro sports “hot stove” type stuff.  Those little paragraph blurbs they had on each team seemed like the holy grail of info to me.

You can actually watch the entire 83 draft on YouTube. It's pretty interesting. Really low tech in a hotel ballroom. Boomer, Dr. Z, Howard Balzer not sure if Kiper was there yet. I think the first one I watched was either 83 or the year before.

[greenwave81]

John Riggins in 1971.  I'm old.

 

[slimjasi]

22 minutes ago, RoadFan said:

Kyle Brady over Sapp.
 

The audacity of the franchise to make that decision in front of its own fans…

With them doing a sapp cheer 

The jets are one of a kind 

[ryu79]

Blair Thomas. Though I was really just starting to understand the sport. I watched so much ESPN those days...

[Mogglez]

2004.  Eli, Ben, Felipe Rios, Larry Fitzgerald, Jonathan Vilma, Sean Taylor.  Instantly fell in love with the whole ordeal.

 

[Icer]

Keyshawn is the first one that I remember 

[the Claw]

I’ve been casually watching the jets since the late 80’s, but I really started paying attention to them when Vinny was QB. I got into the draft stuff in 2004. I don’t watch college football so researching players became so much easier once I embraced the internet. It made everything so much more accessible, convenient, and fun. I wanted Vilma, they picked Vilma, I was hooked. I’ve been mostly wrong ever since but I don’t care. It’s fun.

[RSJ]

Blair Thomas as well


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[Jet Nut]

Freeman 

[redlichtie]

86 I think, I remember it being the year of Shane Conlan, Cornelius Bennett, Bennie Blades(I really wanted Bennie Blades)…we were picking in the 20’s and those guys were all considered top 10 picks so never realistic.
I really wanted Tony Woods(an edge from Pitt, we needed edge badly then too) but we ended up drafting Vick….ppfffffft

remember the Lageman draft too, really wanted ‘Bad Moon’ Rison or Hart Lee Dykes…got neither and Lageman was a shocker. Back then guys who were literally unknown to the casual fan could go Rd1 and JL actually had a solid career

[JiF]

9 hours ago, RoadFan said:

Kyle Brady over Sapp.
 

The audacity of the franchise to make that decision in front of its own fans…

Yep.  That's the one that got me hooked.

Warren played at a rival to my High School, Apopka, they were 1 zone away.  Watching him at that age, you thought you were watching the next coming of Reggie White.  He was the most feared player in the state, let alone the conference.  Dude would literally annihilate an entire offensive line and destroy a ball carrier, it was scary.  He was giant among boys.  Fast forward to Miami, he shows out, biggest no brainer decision, ever...and these ****ers take Kyle Brady with the entre fanbase chanting Sapp.  I was such good drama TV, I remember my father losing his mind, and that was it, Ive tuned into every draft since.

 

[Integrity28]

11 hours ago, Waka Flocka Flacco said:

That was mine too. I think 06 until about 14 was when it was fun.

Bongo palooza

[More Cowbell]

I would say it was Jeff Lagerman

[The Crusher]

2 minutes ago, Integrity28 said:

Bongo palooza

I started paying attention little bit before that but that was certainly the one I followed at JI the most. “ Boar Hunter!”

[Integrity28]

3 minutes ago, The Crusher said:

I started paying attention little bit before that but that was certainly the one I followed at JI the most. “ Boar Hunter!”

Honestly, it’s what brought me from TGG.com to JI and ultimately here, into your bosom.

[The Crusher]

Just now, Integrity28 said:

Honestly, it’s what brought me from TGG.com to JI and ultimately here, into your bosom.

Like the career longevity of Kellen Clemons it was meant to be. 

[chirorob]

12 hours ago, David Harris said:

Easy for me. Blair Thomas in 1990. And every draft since.

I was 11, a big Penn state fan, and it was a dream come true, until the fumble in Chicago his rookie year.

That was the 1st draft I really watched.

I was never into college football, so I didn't know who anyone was.   1990 I started really paying attention, and then in 91 watching the draft with my friends became an all day thing.

Draft was just 2 days, we'd get a keg, chill at the house, cook burgers, it was really fun.

[chirorob]

11 minutes ago, Integrity28 said:

Bongo palooza

Everything is in..... flux......   14 team trade.....   in the works......   Jets may trade out of the first round.....    for the corpse of Otto Grahm.

[Jet Nut]

16 hours ago, slimjasi said:

Did you want Marino?  You were upset at all the Jets passed on him? 

Not that many were all that upset at the time of the draft.  

But 11 teams passed on him because of a failed his drug test, he was smoking weed.  Back then that was enough to spook 11 teams.  There was plenty debate before that draft.

Wonder if branding and social media will become this years cause for a major mistake like weed was back then

 

 

[redlichtie]

21 minutes ago, Integrity28 said:

Bongo palooza

I miss the sheer bonkers joy that guy brought to that horrible last 3 weeks where the draft just becomes all talked out and we’ll all fall for any rumour, no matter how outrageous ….just get on with it already 

[chirorob]

20 minutes ago, Jet Nut said:

Not that many were all that upset at the time of the draft.  

It like Sapp.  Some were but 11 teams passed on him because he failed his drug test, was smoking weed.  Back then that was enough to spook 11 teams.  There was plenty debate before that draft.

Wonder if branding and social media will become this years cause for a major mistake like weed was back then

Marino/Kenny O I was too young to know better, I wasn't upset, I had no idea.

Sapp, a LOT of us were pissed off right then and there.  I was hung over with my room mates, chanting, "We want Sapp!" at the TV when the pick came in, that sucked.

[Jet Nut]

7 minutes ago, chirorob said:

Marino/Kenny O I was too young to know better, I wasn't upset, I had no idea.

Sapp, a LOT of us were pissed off right then and there.  I was hung over with my room mates, chanting, "We want Sapp!" at the TV when the pick came in, that sucked.

I think some of us were indeed pissed on the Jets passing on Sapp, but not nearly as many as are today, lol.  I remember more of the debate being over the importance of smoking weed and should that cause him to drop, which it obviously did. 

[RoadFan]

1 hour ago, JiFapono said:

Yep.  That's the one that got me hooked.

Warren played at a rival to my High School, Apopka, they were 1 zone away.  Watching him at that age, you thought you were watching the next coming of Reggie White.  He was the most feared player in the state, let alone the conference.  Dude would literally annihilate an entire offensive line and destroy a ball carrier, it was scary.  He was giant among boys.  Fast forward to Miami, he shows out, biggest no brainer decision, ever...and these ****ers take Kyle Brady with the entre fanbase chanting Sapp.  I was such good drama TV, I remember my father losing his mind, and that was it, Ive tuned into every draft since.

 

Apopka beat my H.S.,  Riverview from Sarasota in a ‘94 playoff game my Sophomore year.  A great game, offensive shootout.

Daunte Culpepper was Apopka’s QB.  
What an era of Florida High School football that was.  Tommie Frazier at Manatee.  Peter Warrick at Southeast.

[nj meadowlands]

Keyshawn

[chirorob]

1 hour ago, JiFapono said:

Yep.  That's the one that got me hooked.

Warren played at a rival to my High School, Apopka, they were 1 zone away.  Watching him at that age, you thought you were watching the next coming of Reggie White.  He was the most feared player in the state, let alone the conference.  Dude would literally annihilate an entire offensive line and destroy a ball carrier, it was scary.  He was giant among boys.  Fast forward to Miami, he shows out, biggest no brainer decision, ever...and these ****ers take Kyle Brady with the entre fanbase chanting Sapp.  I was such good drama TV, I remember my father losing his mind, and that was it, Ive tuned into every draft since.

I actually felt bad for Kyle Brady.   Here he is, first round draft pick, and the fans are booing him.

[k-met57]

13 hours ago, slimjasi said:

I watched football for awhile without really paying attention to the draft at all. When I was a kid, I didn't really see the significance of it. I didn't pay attention to anything that happened in the offseason. 

The first draft I really gave a sh*t about was 2000 because we had four 1st round picks. I was pumped for Abraham and Ellis. Hated the Becht pick. 

same. i was into football before i was into the draft...id say 2000 for me.

[JiF]

1 hour ago, RoadFan said:

Apopka beat my H.S.,  Riverview from Sarasota in a ‘94 playoff game my Sophomore year.  A great game, offensive shootout.

Daunte Culpepper was Apopka’s QB.  
What an era of Florida High School football that was.  Tommie Frazier at Manatee.  Peter Warrick at Southeast.

Nah, Daunte played for Vanguard, in Ocala.  Not Apopka.  I played for Lake Brantley but Sapp was before my time but he was so good, we'd go to watch Apoka games over Brantley.  lol  Our QB was Dee Brown, who played with McNabb at Syracuse and then was drafted by the Panthers.  He was also our PG, a he punched me in the face once at BBall practice, it was great,

Yes, that era of athletics in central Florida was ridiculous.  I quit Football and played Hoops at a high level, 3 years varsity and AAU - I played Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady, Amari Stoudamire and Marquis Daniels all went to the NBA.  Also Ernest Graham and Kawika Mitchell who went NFL as well.  #namedropper!!!

Big battle over zoning in Baseball when Felipe Lopez (former MLB) came to Brantley and won a state title but he was living in Apopka zone.  

Glory days! 

[BigRy56]

James Farrior let’s go

[RoadFan]

7 minutes ago, JiFapono said:

Nah, Daunte played for Vanguard, in Ocala.  Not Apopka.  I played for Lake Brantley but Sapp was before my time but he was so good, we'd go to watch Apoka games over Brantley.  lol  Our QB was Dee Brown, who played with McNabb at Syracuse and then was drafted by the Panthers.  He was also our PG, a he punched me in the face once at BBall practice, it was great,

Yes, that era of athletics in central Florida was ridiculous.  I quit Football and played Hoops at a high level, 3 years varsity and AAU - I played Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady, Amari Stoudamire and Marquis Daniels all went to the NBA.  Also Ernest Graham and Kawika Mitchell who went NFL as well.  #namedropper!!!

Big battle over zoning in Baseball when Felipe Lopez (former MLB) came to Brantley and won a state title but he was living in Apopka zone.  

Glory days! 

Huh.  Memories fade, I guess.

I HATE baseball, as the board knows.  But I do remember going to a HS baseball tournament in Sarasota because everyoneeee wanted to see a kid named Alex Rodgriguez from Miami…. He hit 3 triples in the game I watched.  Who hits three triples?

[T0mShane]

The 89 Lageman-Byrd draft. I was a draft obsessive by the 1990 Blair Thomas-Reggie Rembert-Tony Stargell draft. Still remember Francesa nuking Dick Steinberg in a 93(?) interview, which was really when I learned that the Jets problems came from on high. 

[Matt39]

WE WANT SAPP

[Matt39]

8 minutes ago, RoadFan said:

Who hits three triples?