When Joe Douglas took over as general manager of the New York Jets he immediately upgraded the team’s college scouting system.
According to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News, Joe Douglas has brought a new prospect grading system to the New York Jets. The system is value-based rather than the traditional talent-based systems.
Mehta explains that the system isn’t based on the common grades by round. Instead, the players are given grades based on their value to the franchise. The Jets arrive at this value grade by judging talent, intangibles, and scheme fit. That way the Jets are drafting players who they feel are the most impactful left on their board.
The other major difference between Douglas and former Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan is their ability to collaborate with coaches. Maccagnan was known to disregard his coaches for the most part. He drafted the players that he liked and wanted his coaches to make it work. Douglas has his coaches a little differently.
According to Mehta, Douglas is strong in his convictions but listens to all opinions, preferences, and scheme fit suggestions. For example, if head coach Adam Gase wants a certain kind of receiver, then Douglas will go out and get that kind of receiver. It may not be the exact player Gase wanted, but he would fit the archetype.
This is exactly how a good general manager is supposed to draft. They are not independent of the coaches and they aren’t drafting solely on talent. Building a team is about collaboration. Great players will struggle in systems they don’t fit in, and worse players will overperform in the right system.
It’s all about marrying talent and scheme fit. So if Joe Douglas is willing to listen and get players who will succeed in Gase and Gregg Williams‘ systems, that’s a huge step forward for the Jets.
