The New York Jets have been the beneficiaries of some interesting NFL Draft decisions over the years. Could history be repeating itself again?
It’s impossible to ignore all the chatter of the Cleveland Browns possibly going with Josh Allen out of Wyoming with the first overall pick. This could have major implications on the New York Jets pick.
- “Daniel Jeremiah: People that know people inside the Browns, expect Josh Allen at No. 1” — Kyle Kelly of Browns Wire
- “Browns will host Josh Allen on Thursday” — Edward Lewis of NFL.com
It was about this time last year when I started to hear Trubisky-to-Chicago whispers got louder and louder. And now it's Allen-to-Cleveland picking up steam.
Yes, it is lying season, but, like last year, sometimes the whispers prove true. Only time will tell.
— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) April 10, 2018
Anyone who thinks this is just drama a few weeks from the 2018 NFL Draft clearly isn’t doing their homework. Consider the history of the Cleveland Browns. They make unpopular decisions all the time and most of them haven’t worked out.
But beyond that, look at new general manager John Dorsey. He likes the specs guy. Insert Patrick Mahomes from last season with the Kansas City Chiefs.
So if the Browns shocked the world (humor me here), then Sam Darnold would drop in the lap of the New York Giants. Most fans would assume, of course, Big Blue wouldn’t waste time and select Darnold right? Not so fast says my source.
The Giants appear to be serious about their position of ‘riding the Eli Manning wave as far as it can go’ from what I’m told. Which would suggest that drafting a quarterback with the No. 2 pick is out of the question, regardless of who is on the board.
The Giants have a plethora of needs and they could use that pick on a player that could help them right now, insert Bradley Chubb, Quenton Nelson, or heck, even Saquon Barkley.
Which means if this situation played out for the green and white, it’d be hard to argue this team doesn’t possess the luck of the Irish.
The recent history of the Jets has suggested that things have been pretty easy on Mike Maccagnan and company. Twice in his three years of picking, the consensus top player on the board has fallen into his lap (2017 Jamal Adams, 2015 Leonard Williams), could it happen again?
Before the season started, so many Jets fans were blowing up my mentions with the hashtag #SuckForSam. Do whatever you have to do to land Sam Darnold they said. For whatever reason, that has lost a ton of steam with Josh Rosen and Baker Mayfield taking the place at the top of the wish list.
So you’re telling me that Maccagnan explored moving up as high as No. 1, but settled for No. 3, knowing he’d at worst have his pick of the third-best quarterback on the board?
Maccagnan was chastised for giving up (three second round picks) for what in theory is the third best player in the draft. But as we get closer and closer to this thing, it seems like Magic Mike knew more than everyone else did and the Jets seemingly avoided paying a truly exorbitant price by trading up well before the NFL Draft.
If the Jets end up with Darnold without having to give up a future first rounder, that has to be the definition of manipulation at its finest.
The Jets have an affinity for being in the right place at the right time and it sure seems like they’re going to be the beneficiary again. Maybe we should just start calling Maccagnan ‘Macc-genius’, I mean it worked for a while for Eric Mangini, but I digress.
