Fans of the New York Jets remember what it’s like to be a contender. As recently as the 2010 season, they were watching their team appear in their second consecutive AFC Championship Game, led by Rex Ryan, a promising young quarterback and a great defense. Three years later, the future of Mark Sanchez is in doubt, the defense has lost its best player, and the atmosphere around the team has become circus-like. The Jets have gone from dangerous to laughingstock in just a few short years, and 2013 doesn’t look promising.
Most projections have the Jets picking very early in the 2014 NFL Draft. They’ll need to rebuild the team through youth, making smart selections with every pick if they want to regain their momentum. There are several areas where they could use improvement, and a top ten pick would ideally solidify one of them. There likely isn’t anybody on the roster who is completely safe, so next year’s draft should be interesting for fans of the franchise. One thing’s for sure, though. Whoever the pick is, he will have to make an impact right away.
Sanchez seems to be nearing the end of his run in New York, and the Jets drafted Geno Smith as his likely replacement, with quarterback being one spot that definitely needs to be upgraded. The team also needs an improved pass rush after ranking 25th in the league last season in sacks. They have used the early picks in the past two drafts to address the defense, and they hope that those players develop into the pass rushers they need. With the youth they have in place at those key positions, they could be in position to swing the pendulum back the other direction. Going into the 2014 draft, they could be just a player away, and that player might be Marquise Lee.
The Jets will start 2013 with an unproven Stephen Hill, an unreliable Santonio Holmes, and an aging Braylon Edwards. Hill has a lot of potential, but struggled in his rookie year. The team could use a dependable receiver to pair with Hill going forward who is an actual weapon. Lee is certainly that. In 2012, the USC star recorded 112 catches for over 1,700 yards and 14 touchdowns. He’s athletic, explosive, and rarely fails to impress. He has also has a nose for the football and great hands. He isn’t tall at 6’1”, but he easily creates separation and consistently gets open, and is a big play waiting to happen.
The Jets will likely begin the Smith era sooner rather than later, and nothing helps a young quarterback excel like quality receivers. That’s something the Jets sorely need. Marquise Lee is the best wide receiver in the country and should be the first receiver taken. The Jets might be picking early, and can certainly use him. If they do, they’ll make Geno Smith, and Jets fans, very happy.