With the annual NFL Combine staring up today in Indianapolis, teams around the NFL will be sending executives and scouts to evaluate the top prospects. Although game tape is always the primary way to evaluate players, how prospects perform in the workouts can influence their draft stock as talent evaluators utilize combine performance in their assessments. Whether it is through the 40-yard dash, bench press, or how they carry themselves in interviews with team personnel, prospects have a chance to shoot up or tumble down draft boards this week at Lucas Oil Stadium.
With that being said, perhaps no one has more at stake in Indianapolis than the New York Jets. According to Tankathon, the Jets have the most valuable draft capital in the entire league, with two top 10 picks, and two draft picks in each of the following four rounds aside from the 3rd. General Manager Joe Douglas will surely be in attendance and looking on intently as he decides how to navigate filling the many holes that his roster possesses. Though the secondary and linebackers are in need of an upgrades, given Douglas’ and Saleh’s drafting history and their words from the few press conferences they have held since the end of the season, giving Zach Wilson help and getting edge rushers that can generate pressure on opposing quarterbacks figure to be the areas that the Jets will be targeting early on in the draft. Let’s take a look at a few players that Douglas will be keeping his eye on at the Combine.
Wide Receivers
The 2022 wide receiver class consists of a deep group, but so far there does not seem to be a consensus of who the first one off the board come April will be. Jameson Williams was well on his way to separating himself from the pack before a torn ACL in the National Championship put a question mark on his potential 2022 impact. There are players with various skill sets that teams covet, and the Jets could have a need for any of the three. So, let’s break down the different types of receivers and what could make them attractive to the Jets.
The Go up and get it
The Jets need red zone threats. This need should be addressed through the addition of a tight end, but it cannot hurt to have a receiver that can make contested catches for Zach Wilson either.
Treylon Burks (Arkansas)– The scouting report courtesy of the NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah reads that Burks is strong and has big hands, but there are question marks regarding his speed and ability to separate.
The Combine will be an opportunity for the Arkansas standout to move up scout’s rankings with some route running and a good performance in the 40-yard dash and cone drills.
Drake London (USC)- Jeremiah had similar things to say about London, as he had high praise for his 50/50 catch ability but has concerns about his straight-line speed. Though the 40-yard-dash is run in shorts and is not the best indicator of game speed, London can turn Joe Douglas’ head if he has a good performance at the combine.
The electric playmakers
Elijah Moore provided a much-needed jolt to the Jets offense this season, but a team can never have enough playmakers. Players that can break the game open at any moment are invaluable, so adding another player like Moore to help Zach Wilson should be high up on Douglas’ priorities this offseason.
Wan’dale Robinson (Kentucky)- Another NFL Network analyst, Lance Zierlein provided a scouting report on Robinson, who he says despite his smaller frame, plays with toughness in addition to his obvious agility and speed. Though size is a concern considering the strength of NFL defenders, Tyreek Hill, has proven that special playmaking ability can overcome a small stature.
Jahan Dotson (Penn State)- The scouting report from Zierlein is similar on Dotson, with speed and strength being his main pro and con. It is going to be interesting to see how Dotson and Robinson weigh in at the Combine and how they perform on the bench press to get more accurate perceptions of their size and strength.
The do it all
Yes, it is good to have receivers that provide a specific skillset, whether it is contested-catch ability or game breaking speed, but what about guys that can just do the main job of a receiver? Get open and make catches. That is exactly what the two star receivers coming out of Ohio State bring to the table.
Garrett Wilson- Wilson has high praise from Jeremiah, who called him “the best wide receiver in the draft” and a complete receiver. That is the simplest way to put it; there is no doubt that the Jets are interested, it is just a question of whether or not Douglas wants to use one of his two top 10 picks on a wide receiver as he surely will not fall much further than that.
Chris Olave- Wilson’s college teammate made a surprising decision to return to school after a stellar junior season with Justin Fields at quarterback, but the dependable wide out will still surely be a second-round pick if he does not come off the board Day 1. Zierlein had a lot of praise for Olave who he compared to Terry McLaurin. His route running will certainly translate to the NFL; I am sure Douglas will be looking closely at his physicals to see if he has the desired strength.
Tight Ends
The Jets are in desperate need of a tight end. Tight ends are often talked about as being a quarterback’s security blanket, but it seemed like the group of Ryan Griffin and Tyler Kroft did more harm than good this season. Expect New York to add multiple tight ends this spring, likely a free agent signing and a draftee. Unless the Jets are able to pry away Dalton Schultz from the Cowboys, the Jets will want to draft one of the top two available players at the position in the draft to be their TE1.
Trey McBride (Colorado State)- Widely considered the top tight end in the 2022 draft class, McBride put up over 1,100 yards in his senior season. The Jets coaching staff got a good look at McBride in the Senior Bowl, but this is another opportunity to get to know the CSU Rams’ prospect. Assuming no one drafts the PAC-12 standout in the first round, Douglas will heavily consider McBride with one of the Jets’ two second rounders.
Jeremy Ruckert (Ohio State)– Ruckert seems to be viewed as the 1B at his position, with scouts believing his unimpressive stats were a result of the system he played in and not his abilities. Ruckert, a Long Island native, may go in the second round as well, but if he falls to the third the Jets should be all over him.
OL
Evan Neal is widely regarded as one of the top two offensive prospects, but with his NFL fit seemingly being only at offensive tackle, he may not make sense for the Jets who have Becton and George Fant. Ekonwu on the other hand, has more flexibility and could play at offensive guard assuming Becton shows up to training camp healthy.
Ickey Ekonwu (NC State)– Ekonwu would seem to be a very similar pick to Mekhi Becton for the Jets. Standing at 6’-4” and over 320 lbs., it is going to be very interesting to see how the big man performs at the combine, as he appears extremely athletic on tape. With a good performance in Indianapolis, the former member of the Wolfpack can solidify his position near the top of the NFL draft.
Edge
While the Jets may appear to be set at edge rusher with the return of Carl Lawson, in Robert Saleh’s defensive scheme, there is no such thing as too much pressure on the quarterback. Aidan Hutchinson and Kayvon Thibodeaux are almost universally loved by scouts, and if one of them falls to the Jets at four it would be no surprise if they pounce. The combine will likely not matter much for either of these players, though with recent questions about Thibodeaux’s “fire”, perhaps the Jets will want to evaluate the Oregon stud more closely in their interviews.
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