The sixth round of the NFL Draft is a crapshoot. Here’s a look back at New York Jets history plus some targets to consider.
Let’s get back to giving you some juicy prospects to consider while you’re watching the 2018 NFL Draft. The New York Jets have the fewest number of draft picks (six) in this draft, so they have to get the most bang for their buck.
But before we give you some names to think about, let’s look back at the recent history of the Jets drafting in the sixth round.
2017
- Elijah McGuire, RB, Louisiana Lafayette
- Jeremy Clark, DB, Michigan
- Derrick Jones, DB, Mississippi
Due to some finagling in the NFL Draft (this is going to happen again, so spoiler alert), the Jets got some additional picks in the sixth round. McGuire looks like a key rotational back, while the others were simply fliers in the secondary. If they pan out, great. If not, they were only sixth-round picks anyway.
2016
None.
2015
None.
2014
- Brandon Dixon, DB, Northwest Missouri State
- Quincy Enunwa, WR, Nebraska
- IK Enemkpali, OLB, Louisiana Tech
- Tajh Boyd, QB, Clemson
A couple of thoughts here. Is Northwest Missouri State a real school? Or is that another one of Kanye’s kids? While I wish the Jets would’ve selected another quarterback from Clemson (cough, cough). Maybe with the No. 3 pick they’ll have a puncher’s chance. Get it? I squeezed in an IK Enemkpali reference because he punched… you know what, never mind.
Obviously, the raging success of this group is Quincy Enunwa. Hopefully, he can fully recover from neck surgery to get back on track and evolve into a No. 1 wideout.
2013
- William Campbell, OL, Michigan
Oh yeah, that was the guy they drafted late and switched positions. When you’re the Jets, you’ve got to try thinking outside the box. In this case, it didn’t work.
The only real success story the Jets have found in the sixth round recently was Enunwa. He’s no Tom Brady with the 199th pick, but he’ll do just fine.
Now let’s try to find the next Enunwa for the Jets. The green and white hold the fifth pick in the sixth round (179th overall).
Brett Toth, OT, Army
The cold hard truth is the Army may keep him away from the NFL until 2020. It’s typical in the NBA to draft a foreign player and “stash” him until he’s ready to come over and hopefully by then he’s ready to go.
If anyone wants Toth, that same mentality will have to follow. He’s a big boy (6-foot-6, 291 pounds), but could add even more beef. Although his weight makes sense because he was a tight end in high school, an all-state tight end at that. It would be a future investment, but the Jets need not only people who can help now, but people who can help later.
Avonte Maddox, CB, Pittsburgh
While the Jets did a hell of a job improving their cornerback depth in free agency, you can never have enough good corners. Plus they need hope for the future. Maddox can be the future at slot corner with his size (5-foot-9, 180 pounds).
Buster Skrine gets into too much trouble as it pertains to penalties and he’s getting older. Draft Maddox, let him learn for a year and then do the bait and switch tactic. Maddox ran a sub 4.4 40-yard dash and has crazy athleticism that was clearly displayed at the NFL Combine.
Levi Wallace, CB, Alabama
Alabama defensive backs usually have a large silver spoon stuck in their pie hole. They’re spoiled four-and-five-star recruits who dominated in high school and they just plug and play with the Crimson Tide.
That’s not Wallace. He earned a starting gig as a walk on, a near impossible feat under Nick Saban at Alabama. He’s also been humbled, losing his starting gig but rather then pout, he kept things rolling on special teams. This kid has a chip on his shoulder and the Jets can use more players like that.
Allen Lazard, WR, Iowa State
The more tape I watch, the more I think that Lazard could be the steal of the 2018 NFL Draft. He’s got the obvious size (6-foot-5, 227 pounds) and has loads of potential. Arguably he could’ve gone a lot higher if he chose a different school with more prowess, but he didn’t due to familial ties to the Cyclones.
When you look at the raw measurables, he doesn’t have blazing speed or a ridiculous trait that separates him. He’s a possession type of receiver that relies on his physicality. That said, out bullying your opponent won’t always work in the NFL with bigger, stronger, and faster guys.
Jamar McGloster, OT, Syracuse
Sorry not sorry for more Syracuse representation on this list! It’s obvious the Jets need depth along the offensive line. The best kind of investment is one that has promise and upside for the future, that’s what McGloster presents.
He didn’t reach his ceiling at Syracuse and some wonder if he ever will. That’s what the sixth round was built for: taking calculated risks. If it pays off, the Jets could have their starting right tackle for the next decade.
