LISTEN | Jets Draft Podcast | Scouts Talk Draft Evaluations (4/6)

National Football League. But I think most fans now that those first tiers of free agency are complete, they're looking ahead to the draft, and we're gonna have them covered. I can't wait for this month. The whole month. We're gonna be loaded as far as content is concerned, where we'll talk to different people externally and from inside the building as well. So the Jets have two first round picks,

two third round picks, two fifth round picks. They got nine picks overall, five in the first seven and this is a scouts dream. We actually spoke to two national scouts who you'll hear from today. Jay Mon DeLisi, one of e as good friends and Don Green. Yeah, Mino is a great friend. He's done with the organization for seventeen seasons now, and his background is very diverse because he started out in the coaching ranks and he's had various scouting positions and now a national scout dom Green,

much like Mondelici. Yeah, he's so experienced this if you look at his background, he played football in college, he coached at the community college level, he was a head coach. Uh, He's worked for various teams in the National Football League too, very well respected guys within the organization, and Joe Douglas talks about the talent he has assembled on his staff and he's always he's always spoken of this is not being unilateral, being the importance of everybody's voice in this process.

And both those guys, they gave some inside as to how weird of a year it was for them. I mean, in a typical scouting year, scouts are on the road a tremendous amount of time of the year. But in any given week they're at multiple schools and then they see a game on Saturday, they're talking to coaches players. That was not the case this season. Much like us, they had to do a lot of their work virtually, Yeah, amazing amount of sacrifices in terms of what the scouts do.

These guys who have families, typically during a year, they're leaving early in the week and they don't come back and see their families until later in a week, and they collect those hotel points because they're always away from

home during the fall. But this year was anything but typical for everybody in the world, and that impact of the scouts because they were just not at the colleges and the universities talking to their various sources, the people on campus to get better intel on the people on the prospects. So what they had to do, like all of us, is get on zooms and Microsoft teams and

really do their homework and rely on their connections. And then once the offseason started, the little twist in this, the little curveball, was the Jets made a coaching change. So now you're scouting throughout the year, but the new coaches come in and tell you we're running new systems and these are the qualities, these are the physical skill sets we're looking for and players and Dom Green and

Mondo both raved about Solomon and staff. During that process, I heard the analogy ones the relationship between coaching staff and scouts is almost like you're at dinner and they the scouts present a menu, this is what we have, and then the coaches are like, well, this is what we want and this is what we're looking for. And I thought that was an interesting way to break it down.

And like you mentioned, everyone has talked about those meetings between the new coaching staff and the scouts, and everyone has said how productive those meetings have been. I mean, Greg net Him talked about it a little bit earlier on the podcast, and you know, I think that it's gonna be fascinating to see what types of players the Jets will in fact draft come April thirty and May first, just because we don't know what this offense will look

like right now. Everyone's thinking, well, okay, it's probably somewhat of a Shanahan looking offense, but we just don't know what kind of wrinkles Michael Floor wants to add or what kind of traits he values in any position. In the same thing with coach Sala and Jeff Albrick on the defensive side of the ball. Yeah, it's exciting if you really think about it, and you're starting to see

You saw it in free agency. Joe Douglas set values for players, and the Jets were aggressive when they needed to be, and they got in here a group of players who I think are gonna fit in very well. One quality that you know that Robert Sala Joe Douglas are looking for you better love love football, and Sala is a big investment guy. You know he's gonna put an investment in a as the players gotta put investments in this team and this organization. You really feel like

this is the start of a new era. Bottom line. If you're a Jets fan, you know last year it was very tough, but I think once the calendar turned there was a lot of new There was a lot of work to be done that there's still is a lot of work to be done, but there's opportunity and a big Douglas philosophy is free agency is nice. It's a supplementary piece. We're gonna add quality parts, but we're our lifeblood is going to be the draft. It's going

to be drafting and then Robert Sale and company development. Actually, Mont Deelici and Don Green both told us who the Jets were taking at number two. Now I'm just kidding, but let's hear from Jamon Delicy and Don Green say, thanks a lot for joining us today. Yeah, thanks for having me guys. How you guys doing pretty good, you know, hanging in there, and let's I think that's a good way to start off because COVID has thrown a wrench

in everybody's plan. So for you and a non pain endemic world, what does your life look like being a national Scout? So traditionally we have three national scouts. Um, I covered main in Miami, so I'm the I'm the second looking for the Jets. So we have two of our area scouts, Andy Davis and Alonzo Dotson who who covered the northeast and southeast respectively. Um, they do a great job coming through rosters and finding players for us,

and then I come through as that second opinion. Um, you know, if they like a player, I'll take another look at them. There are some players maybe they're not as interested in that I still take a look at. Maybe we have different opinions. So it's just a second second set of eyes on players. Like I said, down the East coast, all right, So Mondo and I go aways back. We've known each other close to twenty years,

so we gotta put that out there first. I gotta ask you, because we talk often about this, how different as this calendar year been for you? Because you just said from Maine to Miami. So oftentimes I would have eagine, in a normal year, you're on the road, you're away from your family. What was it like this past fall? Yeah, So traditionally we spent about two hundred days, um a year, I would say, on the road. Um. And with with COVID hitting, you know, put a wrenching things for all

thirty two teams. So we're on the same boat. So you know, my goal and airing the season was to make everything as normal as I could. So I set up a home office here, I got a TV, I have have iPad surfaces, iPhones, you name it, tablets. Um. That allowed me to try to do my job, um the same I would be on the road. So instead of walking into a school every morning and watching tape, I come down here in my office and do the

same thing. And instead of meeting with coaches for you know, a couple of hours a day in their offices, we had to do it on Zoom or Microsoft teams and UM, you know, it was very different, but like I said, all thirty two teams were kind of dealt the same hand.

So I tried to make it as normal as I could and and and try to accomplish the same things I would on the road, but here volume wise, How different was it in terms of wouldn't it be a typical week for you in a fall you leaving maybe on Sunday or Monday, and stay going to multiple colleges during the week and then coming back and maybe to where you reside there in North Carolina, like on a Thursday, Like how many schools did you actually go to and see maybe a game in person? So during the week,

we weren't allowed to travel and go to school. So, you know, like I said, I tried, if I normally travel to five schools during a normal year, then I try to watch do like I call the virtual school trip UM do five schools and then I was able to go to fourteen games this year. Living in the North Carolina area, there's a lot of schools around here in South Carolina, Georgia. So I was able to see

twenty one of my assigned teams. UM we were allowed to go to games and socially distanced with masks and at least be in the stands and see kids live. So so, like I said, every Saturday was probably more busy than usual, but it was a good opportunity to go see the players live. You said you went to fourteen games this season. Just to put things in perspective, how many games would you have gone to if COVID didn't exist. I would say still in that tend to

tend to twelve range. Um, you know, a lot of a lot of our legwork has done through the week. Um, we see these guys practice, which to me is a little more valuable than the games. Obviously we'll get the games on on tape, we'll be able to watch that. As far as seeing guys live, there's a lot more volume during practice. So Monday through Friday we're on the road watching guys practice for three or four hours at a time. Um. So I was able to go to a few more games, but um, like I said, probably

about ten on a normal year. But really the weekends our time to kind of get back home and regroup for the next week usually, but this year, those Saturdays were really the heavy listing for us. As far as seeing guys, somewhat of a blessing in disguise for you on a personal level because you mentioned in a normal year two nights you're away from home. Uh, so many nights during the fall, and you've got two young sons, adorable young sons of Bryson Land and a beautiful wife

and Michelle. I would imagine you spend a lot more time, a lot more quality time with on this fall. Yeah. Yeah, that was one of the definitely one of the benefits of this um. You know, being able to be a dad a little more and bring my kids to school, which isn't something I'm usually able to do, or you know, I joked, we had we had meetings through February and we take a five minute break and I was able to go play some street hockey for five quick minutes.

So that part has been great. But at the same time, you know, we do have a job to do, and luckily my kids and my wife were understanding of that. I joked that this is kind of like a radio station where when my doors were shut, I'm on the air. It can't be bothered. So, you know, it was kind of that balance. You know, they're used to me being on the road of being gone and now they had to learn that and I'm working, but I just got to do it here. So that's definitely one of the

better parts being around more. But you know, like I said, at the end of the day, we still had a job to get done. Hey, Ethan, I like that line. It's like a radio station. I was gonna bring that up to what e A and I are very familiar with that, being in our own e A's in the in the bed MGM studio, but in the home studio. But the door shut it means do not enter. Maybe

I should try to get one of those on air signs. Yeah, I got the windows in my office, so you know, my kids would come to the window and I'd give them a quick you know, at least you can do that from like a side profile. If you know someone comes up in the peripheral, you just stand stick out

your arm like nope, nope, not now. But when Jay, when you mentioned about seeing players live, just generally speaking, how difficult is that challenge this year when you don't have the same access and you're trying to project players not only that played, but also who didn't play in two thousand twenty, whether because of opt outs or because

their seasons were canceled. So the thing I would say that at the end of the day, it's the film, right, Like the film is most important, and and that didn't change from our standpoint. You know, they still played games, which we were really fortunate, and we still got all the films, So we're still valuing the players. As far as seeing guys live, you know, that's a chance for us to kind of see them interact. It's a chance to see them physically, how their bodies are and how

much they can develop physically. Um, it's a good chance to see them interact with their teammates, and it's a good chance to talk to them one on one. So while it was a bit of a challenge not seeing them as much, like I said earlier, thirty two teams were in the same boat, So no one's gonna be

able to use that as an excuse. But me being able to get out to see the four teen games and then going out to the Senior Bowl and being able to conduct a hundred and thirty some odd interviews and seeing the practice and now heading into this week, we're going out to Pro Day. So I think at the end of the day, we'll get everything we needed.

It might have been a little navigating through to get to where we are gonna be in April, but at the end of the day, we'll still get to see basically every player we need to see and in the film still there, So we're not gonna make any excuses too. Farder, you just mentioned a mobile Alabama and the Senior Bowl. How unique was this year and then how different does it feel no combine this year that you guys are just going straight to Pro Day. Yeah, the Senior Bowl

is great. They did a great job putting that on UM where there's a lot of skepticism going out through the fall if it was gonna happen, Um, they were able to make it happen. And not only that, but we really felt safe. You know, there's testing done every day. Um, we were socially distanced. They kept everyone apart of practices and even through the interview process, which we've never done a hundred and thirty interviews. It's just it's not as easy to do that. But they were able to set

it up so every player came to your table. Um, you didn't have to fish guys out, and they had you know, a barrier to keep things socially distant, and we were able to interview those and and those are really valuable. Um as far as the pro as the Pro days go, you know, not much changes there either. I mean, at the end of the day, they're still gonna run forties, they're still gonna do position drills, they're still gonna jump, We're still going to measure them. You know.

Now they've got one chance to do it. They don't have to. So a lot of guys work out the combine and if that doesn't go well for them, it's all gonna come down their Pro Day. Now we're gonna be going out there and this is your one shot to impress us. So that's different. But you know, not much else will change from that standpoint. You've gotta talked

about it when you were mentioning the Pro Days. But I think a lot of fans are a lot of people that follow the NFL will say, like, well, what can you really learn at a pro day because most athletes look good in shorts and a T shirt going through different position drills. Can you expand on that a little bit more about the benefit of Pro days not

only this year, but in every year. So I would say this year more than ever, the measurables are gonna be really important because of COVID going on last spring and then with no combine, we don't have verified measurables on some of these guys. So as far as height, weight, their arm length, their hands size, this this will be our first chance to measure them from that standpoint. UM,

the testing is always a valuable tool. UM. It's not going to drive our decisions, but a lot of times, you know, if a guy tests well, or maybe he doesn't test well, that's a great um reference point to go back maybe and watch them tapes. So so maybe we have a player that we thought was really fast, really explosive, and he ran poorly. You know, that's not gonna kill the player, but it's gonna force us to maybe go back and just double check, you know, the tape.

So we we like to look as like a cross check um from that standpoint. And it's also our chance to see them up live doing drills, see their footworks either athleticism, stuff like that. It's just another exposure up

close to these guys. We talked to Greg Naguma recently raved about the meetings of personnel department had with coach Salo and his staff here in the off season when Salo was hired and you knew that new systems were coming in place on offensive side of the ball under Michael Fleur, on the defensive side of the ball under Salah and all Brick. What happened? How did that impact you guys in terms of them coming in and talking about their systems and you talking about your processes as well.

So we've already evaluated all these players, right and and we kind of know how we feel about them. But what our coaches did a tremendous job of is letting us know what they like. And at the end of the day, trades are still trades. Guys are either faster, or they're strong, or they're competitive all that, but we had a better feel for what fits into their systems, so you know, whether it's size or speed, whatever qualifiers there are for their systems. We're now aware these are

what works and maybe this isn't what works. So now we know as we go back out on the road here in March, these are the type of guys that are coaches want and and they did a great job of explaining that and showing us some of the traits they really like to where maybe we can have a bit of a sliding scale. If this guy is really good at one thing and not as good as the other, he might fit into what they do. Oh sorry, go

go ahead. They are are. We've done really good job adjusting our terminology as well, because every coaching staff, you know, there's still living players on the field that they have certain ways they like to call things. Um, so we've had to adjust on the fly, which has been good. And like I said, they've been really active and kind of letting us know their standards. Is there what challenge?

How difficult is it to get a feel for a prospect when you're meeting with them over zoom as opposed to meeting somebody in person, let's say at the Senior Bowl and getting to meet somebody face to face even though you're distance with the plexiglass and the mask, Like, is that difficult? It can be? You know, you try

to throw them off the as you can. You know, these guys are are trained on what questions to answer and what they're gonna be asked, so you try to make it as much as much comfortable as they can be and just kind of get to know them and try to ignore the fact that you're on zoom and just talk to them and and try to do as many interactions as you can. And maybe it's setting up

the zoom. We get to learn a little bit about them and and you know, once we get on it, we'll ask them about their family and about how they learn and there their system. So it's it's not too different. At the end of the day, you're still talking to each other, but it's a little bit of a challenge to get them comfortable. What's the mood of the scouting department knowing that you have all this draft capital in two thousand one to use. I don't think you could

be more excited as a scout to have this many picks. Um. You know, our work is gonna get put out there, um with uh five picks in the first three rounds, and we're gonna have another one early in the fourth, and two more in the fifth, and and Joe made a point that if we stand where we're at after the fifth round, will have had an entire drafts worth of picks, you know, before we even get to the

sixth round. And you know, we spent three sixty four days just just grinding away and getting as much information as we can to provide to Joe, and we're confident he's gonna make the right decisions based on the information we give him. Now joined by another National Scout, Dom Green Dom. Thanks for joining us today. Yeah, thanks for having me. It's it's good to be here. So, you know, I didn't ask Jamon Delicy this, but I kind of regret it. So I'm gonna ask you. This is how

we're gonna kick things off as a National Scout. How many of the fifty states have you been to? Oh? Uh, well, I mean the way we do it is so like I have the central part of the country basically, the Central time zone. Jay does the eastern you know, the Eastern time zone basically, and Zach Trudy does the western or the you know, the Mountain zone. So um, so you know, we don't go every state in the Union. We just kind of have a broader area then, uh

that our area does. But Tom, I think over the years, that's what Ethan was saying. Over the years, I've never been up like the Colorado Montana area or you know, Washington that type thing. Um, but we've covered pretty much all of them, but I'm sure I don't. I can't speak for the other guys. I know for myself. I got to South I got the eastern half covered for sure, and in Texas, but at western side I could still

do some some experience in out there. So do you feel like you're at home right now because we're talking to you. You're in a hotel in Arkansas, you are going to a pro day. And I say that not tongue in cheek, but because so much of your life is spent on the road. Yeah, I'll tell you what. I'm really fired up just to be out. You know. Yesterday was our was my first day back from last year's about this time last year when we got you know, shut down, and you know, the whole world, um, you know,

became isolated, you know. So I was really fired up yesterday to uh to actually get back into a school. We were allowed into stadiums throughout the year, to watch games that we haven't had our feet on the ground at the schools too, to talk to their staff and and their um you know, their coaches and all those things.

And uh so it was it was really great yesterday and uh really fired up and blessed to have the opportunity to you know, get our feet back down on the ground at these schools and uh, and and develop better relationships with the players and coaches. Well, what's the biggest difference when you're able to go inside the school and able to get your hands a little dirty as opposed to just go into the stadium, which is what

most of this process has looked like in a COVID world. Yeah. So, I mean, when you go into the school, you're gonna talk to anybody that will talk to you. So whether it be the the academic people, the trainers, UM, the support staff, you know, the guys that do the their personnel for their team. Uh, and obviously their coaches. So you know, scouting is all about relationships and how you

acquire information. Um. How you really get to the inner heart and soul of the player is uh, you know, based based off of your your sources at the school and trusting and getting to know them, um, you know, and the only way to do that is by being in the school and having conversation and and just um

you know, uh, developing friendships over time there. You know, we kind of talked about this a little bit with Jay how All thirty two teams are in the same boat trying to navigate the different hurdles that COVID nineteen has thrown in your evaluation process. But what do you

think the biggest challenges for every scouting department? Uh, well, I mean I think it's, um the biggest challenges that you know, a lot of us have not seen these players physically until now, and um, so it's gonna like uh, I mean, I think we all have our own general uh you know, feelings towards the player, but once you see the player move live in action, you know, either at the pro day or in his workout, um or

in his testing all that type thing. Um, you know, so you're not really gonna, you know, know exactly what you're getting until after these days are over with. So it just kind of is putting more premise on these pro days. And you know it's putting more you know obviously, Uh, you know, there's only one shot for these kids to perform on these pro days because um, you know, we're not allowed to work him out individually and all that

type thing. So, um, that to me is the biggest difference is just the more you know, it's more on us on the Pro day as opposed in the past. You know, kids have the opportunity to perform and and and meet people at the combine, and you know there's more all star opportunities and all that. So really it's all boiling down to to one day. You know, for a lot of these guys, from your perspective, you've gone to so many combines in the past, what were the

biggest advantages? Most significant advantage is the combine And like you take that away, how much do you think the prospect themselves put an emphasis into these pro days now because you're jumping from the end of the season for some of them right into the pro days, right, And you know, and the beauty of the combine was everything was there was to a standard of of how the how the forty was. It was indoors, it was a

sterile environment, there was no wind. So now we've got to be able to compare guys, you know, say, same position, this guy was running indoors on on you know, brand new field turf, as opposed to a guy that ran outdoors, uh, with and against the wind? Or did he run both times with the wind? Although there's there was a lot more variables. Uh, you know, when factoring their measurements and

all that type type of thing. So but really at the end of the day, for me personally, you just want to really get your eyes on the kid, see how he competes in these days, right and uh, and see how it matches up and marries up to the tape. And obviously you know, meeting with the staff and the coaches and that type thing again where we haven't had that opportunity until now. Uh as big as well. So, um,

you know there's a that to me is the biggest thing. Um. And as far as the difference is in that it's just the combine allowed at a sterile environment, everybody's doing things the same way. Now you know, we can go day to day and you know, guys might be might be allowed to brace on the on the broad jump,

at some places they may not be allowed to. So it's it's um, uh, it's gonna it's gonna take some some thought and um you know you're not gonna just be able to compare apples and apples, if that makes sense. What about as a group, you know, how excited are you guys to finally take all your work all year round and finally put it on paper, per se and show you know, not only Joe and his staff and but also like the Jets fans, like this is who we've been scouting and these are the this is the

future of your team. Yeah. So, uh, I think we're all very fired up to have the opportunity that we have armed with nine picks right now to go into this draft and really make a difference, um through through the draft, you know, and um uh you know, all of our hard work, all those things, it all comes truition on draft day. But really and truly, all of our work is you know there our reports stay with the players, so it doesn't go uh, it doesn't get

dismissed just because we don't draft a certain player. It'll our our work will stay with that player as he progresses throughout his time in the NFL, if that makes sense. So four or five years from now, when say a player from another team is up, you know, that way, our pro uh scouts will have an opportunity to go back, read our character, read what we thought about the player, and uh you know, and it helps them make a

decision moving forward to free agency. So that's why for me anyways, you know, having your boots on the ground at the school and uh, you know, really diving into each player's makeup, their character, all those things. It's really important. And uh obviously whoever we select, um, you know, we we need we need that player to be who we said they were going to be, if that makes sense.

So UM, I know, I know a lot of us are all fired or very fired up to you know, when you got nine picks, you know, you feel like you can really impact the team. What was your initial reaction when you heard that the Jets had a new coaching staff and how did those meetings go with coach Sala, a new offensive coordinator, Michael Fleur of course, a new

defensive coordinator and Jeff all Brick as well. You guys are changing up systems because everybody that Ethan and I have talked about have said the communication was just tremendous in those sessions. Yeah, it was great. You know, I haven't met him. I look forward to meeting everybody personally, but just listening to everybody on the on the team's call and uh and listen to what our coaches want and and having a clear, uh concise vision uh for how they want to you know, each side of the ball.

To be to be built. And uh it's great, you know because the scout you know, our job is to find out what a player can do, not necessarily what he can't do. So I feel like everyone can do something, all right, it's just a matter of you know, there's a guy to fit for what we want, you know, with the New York Jets. So, um, it's been really good this so far, and really look forward to uh, you know, getting back to New Jersey and getting in

the office and meeting everybody personally. This time last year, Tom, which was when everything kind of went haywire and when everything became all virtual. Now that you've had you know, almost a year of all virtual meetings in a virtual pre draft process, do you almost feel more prepared in a virtual space than you know, a year from now or a year in in reverse, if that makes any sense. Yeah. But for me personally, uh, you know, I think we

we can all benefit. You know, obviously no one wanted to go through all that, and uh, but but you can take benefits away from you know, some of the some of the hurdles, some of the things, uh, you know, we had to overcome, you know, through like video sessions and all that type stuff that will benefit us moving forward and help us as a staff and as a

group collectively. Um, you know, be able to share ideas, listen to one another, all those type things, and you know, because we don't necessarily have to be in all in the same room, if that makes sense. So I think in that regard, it's uh, it's helped uh a lot

of the scouting community. Is that music to your ears as a scout when Joe Douglas says the main way we're gonna build this thing is by drafting and developing players, Yeah, it is because I mean, at the end of the day, you know, it's a collaborative effort of all parties involved. All of our you know, oords are in the water. Everyone's pulling the same same way, in the same direction,

and uh, and it's really good. It's really refreshing. Um, you know, because the draft, you know, you want to develop your own and uh and and and build through the draft because that's uh, you know, the core of your football team. Really fascinating stuff from both of those guys, just giving a peek behind the curtain as to what their processes look like. And April nine, here's the good news. Last year, everything was virtual. People were scrambling, how do

you work from home? What's the draft gonna be? Roger Goodell was announcing the picks from his home. Now, it seems like each team will have a contingency in their war room in their building a limited number, and the draft will be in person in Cleveland, Ohio. Yeah, how about that? The draft in Cleveland this year? And if the Jets state number two, uh, Jets Nation doesn't have to wait to hear that first name called. But make no mistake about it, those other eight picks are very

important too. I know a lot of long time scouts, a lot of long time personnel people will say, you really build the core your roster on days two, in days three, you gotta hit on those early picks. There's no doubt about it, um, you know. And it's just interesting that we will be talking about it for a month now. But at the top of the draft, and you've done so much study on this so far, those first ten picks feels like it's gonna be dominated by

offensive skill position players. And what's crazy is with if there's a run on quarterbacks early in the draft, a lot of the top skill position players will be essentially five through ten, six through ten, and we'll see what happens. It's gonna be fascinating. But you know what I really love about the draft, and this is such a minor thing and I'm such a sucker for it, and we didn't we got it last year to a degree. I love the phone call from the GM to the prospect.

And you know, over teams it was good. But you know, I love seeing the general manager pick up the phone, the hard wired line here what the prospect has to say, the raw emotion from the prospect. I mean, I'm such a sucker for that. I love it. Yeah, there's all these series and television and they say, you know these these are real dramas. There's no drama like sports that

event itself. But also, can you imagine you at twenty two years old a getting a call to be drafted in the National Football League And over the years we've seen the guys go up to the commissioner good doll and give them the shake and the and the hug and the tears, and it's just a It's a great moment for a lot of people because there's so many people. It takes a village to build somebody up and I think that, Um, there are so many people excited. And

that's a great thing about draft weekend. Much like free agency. You will go to I bet you if you want to, every one of the thirty two teams following the draft. They all feel good because you just and you just added to your roster and you added talented pieces. So it's just one step of the process. But it's a cool weekend overall because it's the one weekend in the year where everybody that nful feels pretty good. Yeah, that is That's a great point. And we're about to ramp

up our draft coverage over all of our platforms. But one question that's been posed, or that we've posed in many different ways. I want to bring it to the podcast is we know what the Jets have done in free agency, at least in the early parts of it. I mean, the meat and potatoes are free agencies now in the rear view. So how do you think with the new additions that potentially impacts maybe who the Jets are looking at in the first couple rounds, at least

just from a position standpoint. Well, it's that old adits right, it's best player available versus need. You want to go into the draft with not a ton of pressing needs because then you can force things. Joe Douglas we've learned, I think throughout his tenure here his stint as GM and the New York Jets, which is which is not even two years old, by the way, he's not gonna

force things. Um. With that being said, I think if it's close, you definitely go need what the Jets didn't free agency, and we can talk about it here briefly. Defensive line stands out. You need an audge guy. You got Corey Lawson, who's a sending yeah yeah, and then you got Carl Davis wide receiver. No. So you got Carl Lawson, who a lot of people in the National Football League think his better days are in front of him, even though he was a quarterback disruptor in the past

with the Cincinnati Bengals. Maybe this is a home where he can flourish under Salah and also Jeff all Brick. And then across the way you add in Vinny Curry, who's a culture guy who plays really hard, who's gonna be a good fit. I think about defense alignment, I think about the wide receiver position. Obviously, I missed spoke there, but Corey Davis, he told the media the other day, I consider myself a number one receiver. Jets certainly had a need at wide receiver because you didn't know what's

gonna happen with Brashad Perryman being unrestricted free agent. He winds up in Detroit. Another guy, Keenlyan Cole. I think Keenlan Cole is kind of went out of the radar a little bit, very productive player in Jacksonville. Gives you some position flexibility. So those were two clear areas of need entering the off season, and they've started to address those. Yeah,

I think that what you said earlier. When you go into the draft and you know, let's say you need this position, and then you're on the clock and there's a player at that position, but you don't have him rated as highly as another player that's not at a position of need, you maybe you forced it a little bit. Now the Jets are in a position where they go into the draft with what I think many would consider

less needs, making it a little more unpredictable. You know, would it surprised me if the Jets went, let's say, with an edge rusher at twenty three or thirty four. No, but with some will be like, well why are you doing that? When you add Carl Awson, you add Sheldon Rankins in the middle, you add Vinny Curry on one side. I mean, this is really where it becomes unpredictable because

the Jets can do so many different things. And also it's just gonna depend how they view a certain player and who's on the board when they're on the clock. And Rankins, I'm glad you mentioned him because he makes it fun because and just imagine a rotation on the defensive interial got Fatakas, he got Shopperd, you got Rankings, who's you know, when he's healthy, he can really go and push that pocket win. And Williams is one of the he's the top player in this roster right now.

Just look at it and put him a mackay back in side by side. I don't care um running back. You have a lot of numbers already. You added Tevin Coleman, who's very familiar with Michael fleur as we've talked about his system fit. And then you got La Michael p Ryan, Ty Johnson, Josh Adams. Uh So, there are a couple of positions that stand out as we sit here, and this could change tomorrow. But Nickel, who's your Nickel opening day? That's a question right now. Brian Pool remains an unrestricted

free agent. Javelin Guidry did some good things for you last year. How you situated at the cornerback position, also at guard? Yet Dan Feenie and free agency the mullet as you called him, Um, you know what what potentially you're gonna do there? Titans fascinating just because where the Jets are at there at number two overall in this dude from Florida, Wow, where he's a free Where is Kyle Pitt's gonna go? Well? See, Okay, so this is a great question. Let's just have a little fun here.

Let's say, well, number one is a quarterback? Okay, that Jets are not at number two. Most people would say quarterback. Right number three, most people are saying quarterback. Now you're at four with the Atlanta Falcons. Okay, let's say they stay put. Are they going the Matt Ryan's successor are they adding Kyle Pitt Stewart offense that has Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley. I mean that would be sick all right, So I mean, where do you want to go in

this scenario? Well, I don't know. I'm just wondering as you were talking. We talked to somebody from Cincinnati the other day, and while you were talking, I just started thinking, what if Cincinnati has got Jory Burrow who went to LSU was very impressive as rookie season, got banged up a little bit, and they had Jamar Chase on the clock, but also Kyle Pitts was still out there. See, I think that's fascinating. Let's say for this and and Seuel Okay, so let's say for this argument. I just want to

bring this full circled little Jets tie here. Let's say number five is Jamar Chase number six in Miami Dolphins on the clock? Do they go Kyle Pitts and or do they help out their young quarterback with Penne Sewell, I don't know. That's why we love the draft, and I want to be clearer about the quarterback position because we're gonna talk to people at the quarterback position here

over the next month. There's no doubt about that. But the last time Joe Doug was talked, he was clear that he thinks that Sam Donald's unbelievable talent and he's going to reach the ceiling of the National Football League. But he will listen if people do call. And there are a lot of quarterbacks in this draft that people think awfully highly off. And we're taping this a couple of days on the heels of a couple of press of pro day workouts, and you can film in on that.

I mean, Zach Wills and Justin Fields, both trained by John Beck, both had similar scripts, so it seemed both very impressive throws or very impressive throwing sessions, should I say, and you know we'll see the field four four? Yeah, it's insane, especially at the weight that he is. But look, there are a thousand different layers to this on the Union.

We're gonna break them all down right here on the Draft Podcast presented by Dell Technologies on SAP on the Official Jets Podcast, and we'll be back next week with some more draft talk. Spl at Asen Pat in a stun