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Jets Best Draft Class Ever?


Best Draft Class?  

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  1. 1. Which Jets Draft Class Was the Best Ever?



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2022 - GM Joe Douglas

  Misc       Passing Rushing Receiving  
Rnd Player Pick Pos Yrs From To AP1 PB St wAV G Cmp Att Yds TD Int Att Yds TD Rec Yds TD College/Univ
1 Sauce Gardner 4 CB 2 2022 2023 2 2 1 26 33       0       0     0 Cincinnati
1 Garrett Wilson 10 WR 2 2022 2023 0 0 1 15 34 0 2 0 0 0 8 4 0 178 2145 7 Ohio St.
1 Jermaine Johnson II 26 LB 2 2022 2023 0 0 0 11 31       0       0     0 Florida St.
2 Breece Hall 36 RB 2 2022 2023 0 0 0 12 24       0   303 1457 9 95 809 5 Iowa St.
3 Jeremy Ruckert 101 TE 2 2022 2023 0 0 0 1 24       0       0 17 159 0 Ohio St.
4 Max Mitchell 111 T 2 2022 2023 0 0 0 4 20       0       0     0 Louisiana
4 Micheal Clemons 117 DT 2 2022 2023 0 0 0 3 32       0       0     0 Texas A&M

2006 - GM Mike Tannenbaum

  Misc       Passing Rushing Receiving  
Rnd Player Pick Pos Yrs From To AP1 PB St wAV G Cmp Att Yds TD Int Att Yds TD Rec Yds TD College/Univ
1 D'Brickashaw Ferguson 4 T 10 2006 2015 0 3 10 58 160       0       0     0 Virginia
1 Nick Mangold 29 C 11 2006 2016 2 7 11 73 164       0       0 1 -3 0 Ohio St.
2 Kellen Clemens 49 QB 12 2006 2017 0 0 2 10 64 350 638 4053 16 21 85 227 3 0 0 0 Oregon
3 Anthony Schlegel 76 LB 2 2006 2007 0 0 0 2 17       0       0     0 Ohio St.
3 Eric Smith 97 DB 7 2006 2012 0 0 1 18 96       0       0 1 27 0 Michigan St.
4 Brad Smith 103 QB 9 2006 2014 0 0 1 17 127 4 10 51 1 2 134 972 4 104 987 5 Missouri
4 Leon Washington 117 RB 9 2006 2014 1 2 1 30 126 1 1 36 0 0 487 2271 16 168 1286 4 Florida St.
5 Jason Pociask 150 TE 1 2007 2007 0 0 0 0 4       0       0 1 7 0 Wisconsin
6 Drew Coleman 189 DB 6 2006 2011 0 0 0 11 83       0       0     0 TCU
7 Titus Adams 220 DT 1 2009 2009 0 0 0 0 2       0       0     0 Nebraska

2000 - GM Bill Parcells

  Misc       Passing Rushing Receiving  
Rnd Player Pick Pos Yrs From To AP1 PB St wAV G Cmp Att Yds TD Int Att Yds TD Rec Yds TD College/Univ
1 Shaun Ellis 12 DE 12 2000 2011 0 2 11 70 184       0       0     0 Tennessee
1 John Abraham 13 DE 15 2000 2014 2 5 11 91 192       0       0     0 South Carolina
1 Chad Pennington 18 QB 11 2000 2010 0 0 5 55 89 1632 2471 17823 102 64 180 465 7 0 7 0 Marshall
1 Anthony Becht 27 TE 11 2000 2011 0 0 9 12 167       0       0 188 1537 21 West Virginia
3 Laveranues Coles 78 WR 10 2000 2009 0 1 9 68 153       0   37 231 0 674 8609 49 Florida St.
5 Windrell Hayes 143 WR 2 2000 2001 0 0 0 1 9       0   1 2 0 6 126 0 USC
6 Tony Scott 179 DB 2 2000 2001 0 0 0 2 23       0       0     0 North Carolina St.
7 Richard Seals 218 DT       0 0 0                           Utah

1979 - GM Jim Kensil 

  Misc       Passing Rushing Receiving  
Rnd Player Pick Pos Yrs From To AP1 PB St wAV G Cmp Att Yds TD Int Att Yds TD Rec Yds TD College/Univ
1 Marty Lyons 14 DE 11 1979 1989 0 0 10 49 147       0       0     0 Alabama
2 Mark Gastineau 41 DE 10 1979 1988 3 5 7 84 137       0       0     0 Arizona St.
3 Donald Dykes 68 DB 4 1979 1982 0 0 1 11 47       0       0     0 Southeastern Louisiana
4 Eric Cunningham 96 G 2 1979 1980 0 0 0 3 17       0       0     0 Penn St.
4 Johnny Lynn 98 DB 7 1979 1986 0 0 2 21 97       0       0     0 UCLA
5 Kelly Kirchbaum 123 LB 2 1980 1987 0 0 0 0 4       0       0     0 Kentucky
5 Stan Blinka 125 LB 5 1979 1983 0 0 4 28 72       0       0     0 Sam Houston St.
6 Bill Dufek 149 G       0 0 0                           Michigan
7 Emmett King 179 RB       0 0 0                           Houston
7 Keith Brown 187 DB       0 0 0                           Minnesota
8 Marshall Harris 198 DE 4 1980 1983 0 0 3 20 46       0       0     0 TCU
8 Willie Beamon 205 LB       0 0 0                           Boise St.
9 Gordy Sprattler 232 RB       0 0 0                           North Dakota St.
10 Steve Sybeldon 262 T       0 0 0                           North Dakota
10 Ed McGlasson 263 C 3 1979 1981 0 0 0 4 24       0       0     0 Youngstown St.
11 Dan Sanders 288 QB       0 0 0                           Carson-Newman
12 Paul Darby 314 WR 2 1979 1980 0 0 0 1 23       0   1 15 0 3 48 1 Texas St.

1978 - GM Jim Kensil

  Misc       Passing Rushing Receiving  
Rnd Player Pick Pos Yrs From To AP1 PB St wAV G Cmp Att Yds TD Int Att Yds TD Rec Yds TD College/Univ
1 Chris Ward 4 T 7 1978 1984 0 0 6 45 100       0       0     0 Ohio St.
2 Mark Merrill 31 LB 6 1978 1984 0 0 0 9 68       0       0     0 Minnesota
3 Mickey Shuler 61 TE 14 1978 1991 0 2 7 42 180       0       0 462 5100 37 Penn St.
4 Dodie Donnell 88 RB       0 0 0                           Nebraska
5 Randy Sidler 113 LB       0 0 0                           Penn St.
6 Bobby Jackson 140 DB 8 1978 1985 0 0 7 35 95       0       0     0 Florida St.
6 Gregg Robinson 142 DE 1 1978 1978 0 0 0 3 16       0       0     0 Dartmouth
7 Levi Armstrong 169 DB       0 0 0                           UCLA
7 Jim Earley 170 RB 1 1978 1978 0 0 0 0 2       0       0     0 Michigan St.
8 Derrick Gaffney 197 WR 8 1978 1987 0 0 4 25 100       0   2 -2 0 156 2613 7 Florida
8 Mike Mock 203 LB 1 1978 1978 0 0 0 3 15       0       0     0 Texas Tech
8 Roy Eppes 213 DB       0 0 0                           Clemson
9 Reggie Grant 225 DB 1 1978 1978 0 0 0 2 14       0       0     0 Oregon
9 Neil Hutton 227 DB       0 0 0                           Penn St.
10 Louis Richardson 254 DE       0 0 0                           Florida St.
11 Pat Ryan 281 QB 13 1978 1991 0 0 1 13 145 364 657 4320 31 35 53 156 1     0 Tennessee
12 Alan Williams 311 P       0 0 0                           Florida

1977 - GM Jim Kensil

  Misc       Passing Rushing Receiving  
Rnd Player Pick Pos Yrs From To AP1 PB St wAV G Cmp Att Yds TD Int Att Yds TD Rec Yds TD College/Univ
1 Marvin Powell 4 T 11 1977 1987 3 5 9 78 133       0       0     0 USC
2 Wesley Walker 33 WR 13 1977 1989 1 2 11 73 154       0   6 35 0 438 8306 71 California
3 Tank Marshall 72 DT 1 1977 1977 0 0 0 2 5       0       0     0 Texas A&M
4 Scott Dierking 90 RB 8 1977 1984 0 0 4 29 110 0 1 0 0 0 734 2915 18 124 1028 5 Purdue
5 Perry Griggs 116 WR 1 1977 1977 0 0 0 0 1       0       0     0 Troy
5 Gary Gregory 129 T       0 0 0                           Baylor
6 Joe Klecko HOF 144 DT 12 1977 1988 2 4 9 76 155       0       0     0 Temple
7 Charlie White 168 RB 2 1977 1978 0 0 0 2 20       0   61 193 1 4 36 1 Bethune-Cookman
7 Bob Grupp 171 P 3 1979 1981 0 1 0 7 41 0 1 0 0 0 4 -33 0     0 Duke
7 Kevin Long 195 RB 5 1977 1981 0 0 1 22 73       0   574 2190 25 74 539 3 South Carolina
8 Dan Alexander 200 G 13 1977 1989 0 0 13 70 192       0       0     0 LSU
8 Ed Thompson 210 LB       0 0 0                           Ohio St.
9 Matt Robinson 227 QB 6 1977 1982 0 0 1 12 69 244 523 3519 18 38 58 117 4     0 Georgia
10 John Hennessy 256 LB 3 1977 1979 0 0 1 10 46       0       0     0 Michigan
11 Dave Butterfield 307 DB       0 0 0                           Nebraska
12 Phil Gargis 312 RB       0 0 0                           Auburn
12 Dave Conrad 313 T       0 0 0                           Maryland

1965 - GM Weeb Ewbank

  Misc       Passing Rushing Receiving  
Rnd Player Pick Pos Yrs From To AP1 PB St wAV G Cmp Att Yds TD Int Att Yds TD Rec Yds TD College/Univ
1 Joe Namath HOF 1 QB 13 1965 1977 1 5 9 94 140 1886 3762 27663 173 220 71 140 7     0 Alabama
1 Tom Nowatzke 4 FB 8 1965 1972 0 0 1 14 96       0   361 1249 13 100 605 4 Indiana
2 John Huarte 12 QB 6 1966 1972 0 0 0 1 24 19 48 230 1 5 12 52 0     0 Notre Dame
3 Verlon Biggs 20 DE 10 1965 1974 0 3 10 71 135       0       0     0 Jackson St.
4 Bob Schweickert 28 QB 2 1965 1967 0 0 0 0 6       0   1 1 0     0 Virginia Tech
5 Glenn Sasser 36 DE       0 0 0                           North Carolina St.
6 Don Hoovler 44 LB       0 0 0                           Ohio
7 Archie Roberts 51 QB 1 1967 1967 0 0 0 0 1 5 10 11 0 1     0     0 Columbia
7 Jim Harris 52 DT 3 1965 1967 0 0 3 18 42       0       0     0 Utah St.
8 Rick McCurdy 60 DE       0 0 0                           Oklahoma
9 Jimmy Sidle 68 RB 1 1966 1966 0 0 0 0 6       0   1 12 0 1 16 0 Auburn
10 Frank Lambert 76 P 2 1965 1966 0 0 0 6 28       0       0     0 Mississippi
11 Jim Gray 84 DB 2 1966 1967 0 0 0 3 9       0       0     0 Toledo
12 John Berrington 92 LB       0 0 0                           Iowa St.
13 Sonny Utz 100 FB       0 0 0                           Virginia Tech
14 Gary Plumlee 108 DT       0 0 0                           New Mexico
15 Jim Burt 116 DB       0 0 0                           Western Kentucky
16 Seth Cartwright 124 DT       0 0 0                           Prairie View A&M
17 Charlie Browning 132 HB 1 1965 1965 0 0 0 0 1       0       0     0 Washington
19 Mitch Dudek 148 T 1 1966 1966 0 0 0 2 14       0       0     0 Xavier (OH)
20 Troy Allen 156 DB       0 0 0                           Western Michigan

 

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Apparently having multiple first round picks is helpful in having a great draft class.

Of the three that I've lived through I'd say 2022 already looks like the best. Sauce, GW and Breece all legitimately have "best in the league" type upside and JJ just made the Pro Bowl. Rucket, Mitchell and Clemons have all showed promise/played minutes too.

2006 was great with Brick and Mangold and Brad Smith/Leon Washington were good pieces but Clemens as a miss and the Boar Hunter was a whiff.

2000 is probably the best if Pennington stays healthy. Becht was a miss but Penny, Coles, Abraham and Ellis is a very good group.

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I expected a sophomore slump from one of the top-4 guys from 2022, but they all played to the same standard as their rookie seasons, if not better. JJ actually played at a much higher level in year 2.

Bittersweet to be in this position with these young talented players, and have to rebuild the offensive line almost completely, a 41 year old QB, and a horrendous OC. Sure would be nice to have an opportunity to stash Jayden Daniels on the bench while we see how this all-in plan works out. 

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1978 does not really belong on the list.  The Freeman draft was better.  So was the Lageman draft with Byrd and Marvin Washington.  It would have seemed much better if they'd kept Tony Martin and Stevon Moore in house.  You could make a case that 2007 with Revis and Harris was better than 2006.  Especially when you consider that the extra one came from moving Abe.  Part of me thinks we should consider that 2000 came from moving Keyshawn and 2022 came from moving Adams (yay!)

Looking at those lists I am glad that I wasn't here for 2001 because I can just imagine how many people would tell me that Windrell Hayes was the WR of the future!  I was a Dale Dawkins man!

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The Marvin Powell/Wesley Walker/Joe Klecko draft was probably Kensil's best and deserves bonus points for Matt Robinson who net a 1st from the Broncos a few years later. 

The Namath draft loses out because nobody remembers anyone else and there was no fancy NFL films piece made to glamorize Verlon Biggs, which is a sin.

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The thing is those early drafts were fourteen rounds.  Kensington did a pretty good job in 78 but I think the 2022 draft takes the cake.  Every one of those guys has contributed and it yielded two rookies of the year.  Not a bad way to build out a team.

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1977.  Marvin Powell.  Wesley Walker.  Joe Klecko.  Dan Alexander.  4 10+ year NFL starters including a Hall of Famer in the 6th round.  Add in 3 solid back-ups/role players in Scott Dierking, Kevin Long and Matt Robinson.

2022 has the potential to be as good or better, but they are only two years in.  To me, that 1977 draft is still #1.

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38 minutes ago, Lith said:

1977.  Marvin Powell.  Wesley Walker.  Joe Klecko.  Dan Alexander.  4 10+ year NFL starters including a Hall of Famer in the 6th round.  Add in 3 solid back-ups/role players in Scott Dierking, Kevin Long and Matt Robinson.

2022 has the potential to be as good or better, but they are only two years in.  To me, that 1977 draft is still #1.

So...2022 was thrown around earlier today by a couple people as one of the best draft classes in NFL history, yet is now not even good enough to clearly be the best draft class from one of the league's sorriest franchises. :rl:

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12 rounds or not,  that 1977 class is sick: Powell, Walker, Klecko,  in the first three rounds, and scattered through the draft, a pair of halfbacks, Long and Dierking, the first rate Dan Alexander, and, just for kicks, aQB  Matt Robinson, who flashed and then Kensil sold high for a first, a second and a back up QB. I believe the acquired draft choices were misused, but good gosh, what a draft!!

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I'm partial to 2006

10 year pro bowl LT who never gets hurt

10 year all pro center who rarely got hurt.

Those two players set up that whole team.

Brad Smith and Leon Washington both really useful players.

Probably not the best but I love that draft.

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58 minutes ago, Sperm Edwards said:

So...2022 was thrown around earlier today by a couple people as one of the best draft classes in NFL history, yet is now not even good enough to clearly be the best draft class from one of the league's sorriest franchises. :rl:

Recency bias. 

Best draft class in NFL History?  Steelers 1974 class had 4 HOFers -- Lynn Swann, Jack Lambert, John Stallworth and Mike Webster. 

I am not calling a draft class the best ever after two seasons.  I still like that 1977 class as our best.  Maybe after a few more seasons, but the 4 guys from 1977 were all Jets for a decade.  Different era, but lets see these guys play at a high level for more than two seasons. 

And leading the team to a playoff appearance would be nice too.

 

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35 minutes ago, freestater said:

06. LT & C locked down for a decade. Harris and Leon to boot. 

Make it happen, Tanny!

I think the problem with this place is worrying about "locking things down for a decade."  Ferguson and Mangold were great Jets and draft picks, but we have not made the playoffs since their rookie contracts.  Paying those guys to stay with the team "for a decade" was a huge part of the problem. 

Part of the draft is getting guys that will help during their contract.  If Becton turns out great that does not do us much good we had one mediocre and one sucky season out of pick #11.  Development is nice, but who gives a ****?  Did we get bonus points for developing James Farrior? 

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3 hours ago, Barry McCockinner said:

2022 - GM Joe Douglas

  Misc       Passing Rushing Receiving  
Rnd Player Pick Pos Yrs From To AP1 PB St wAV G Cmp Att Yds TD Int Att Yds TD Rec Yds TD College/Univ
1 Sauce Gardner 4 CB 2 2022 2023 2 2 1 26 33       0       0     0 Cincinnati
1 Garrett Wilson 10 WR 2 2022 2023 0 0 1 15 34 0 2 0 0 0 8 4 0 178 2145 7 Ohio St.
1 Jermaine Johnson II 26 LB 2 2022 2023 0 0 0 11 31       0       0     0 Florida St.
2 Breece Hall 36 RB 2 2022 2023 0 0 0 12 24       0   303 1457 9 95 809 5 Iowa St.
3 Jeremy Ruckert 101 TE 2 2022 2023 0 0 0 1 24       0       0 17 159 0 Ohio St.
4 Max Mitchell 111 T 2 2022 2023 0 0 0 4 20       0       0     0 Louisiana
4 Micheal Clemons 117 DT 2 2022 2023 0 0 0 3 32       0       0     0 Texas A&M

2006 - GM Mike Tannenbaum

  Misc       Passing Rushing Receiving  
Rnd Player Pick Pos Yrs From To AP1 PB St wAV G Cmp Att Yds TD Int Att Yds TD Rec Yds TD College/Univ
1 D'Brickashaw Ferguson 4 T 10 2006 2015 0 3 10 58 160       0       0     0 Virginia
1 Nick Mangold 29 C 11 2006 2016 2 7 11 73 164       0       0 1 -3 0 Ohio St.
2 Kellen Clemens 49 QB 12 2006 2017 0 0 2 10 64 350 638 4053 16 21 85 227 3 0 0 0 Oregon
3 Anthony Schlegel 76 LB 2 2006 2007 0 0 0 2 17       0       0     0 Ohio St.
3 Eric Smith 97 DB 7 2006 2012 0 0 1 18 96       0       0 1 27 0 Michigan St.
4 Brad Smith 103 QB 9 2006 2014 0 0 1 17 127 4 10 51 1 2 134 972 4 104 987 5 Missouri
4 Leon Washington 117 RB 9 2006 2014 1 2 1 30 126 1 1 36 0 0 487 2271 16 168 1286 4 Florida St.
5 Jason Pociask 150 TE 1 2007 2007 0 0 0 0 4       0       0 1 7 0 Wisconsin
6 Drew Coleman 189 DB 6 2006 2011 0 0 0 11 83       0       0     0 TCU
7 Titus Adams 220 DT 1 2009 2009 0 0 0 0 2       0       0     0 Nebraska

2000 - GM Bill Parcells

  Misc       Passing Rushing Receiving  
Rnd Player Pick Pos Yrs From To AP1 PB St wAV G Cmp Att Yds TD Int Att Yds TD Rec Yds TD College/Univ
1 Shaun Ellis 12 DE 12 2000 2011 0 2 11 70 184       0       0     0 Tennessee
1 John Abraham 13 DE 15 2000 2014 2 5 11 91 192       0       0