Getty Oregon pass rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux making a play during a college football game.
Every year New York Jets fans fall in love with a prospect that they hope their team selects in the annual NFL draft.
Sometimes what the fans want and what the team wants end up aligning. Last year plenty of fans begged for Gang Green to select Alijah Vera-Tucker out of USC and presto it happened.
Although this aligning of the moons and stars doesn’t happen every year. On that note, for any fans hoping the Jets would select Kayvon Thibodeaux out of Oregon in this year’s draft, well don’t hold your breath.
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Not Buying the Hype
Several notable NFL insiders all dropped bombshells during a several-hour span on Monday, April 25 on why they don’t believe the Jets and Thibodeaux will end up being a pair.
Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports said, “I would be absolutely, spectacular stunned if KT is a New York Jet by the end of the draft.”
@CharlesRobinson “I would be absolutely, spectacularly stunned if Kayvon Thibodeaux is a New York Jet by the end of the draft”
Which was followed up by NFL draft analyst Dane Brugler of The Athletic who said for what it is worth, several people in the know “believe Jermaine Johnson has a better chance to go No. 4 to the Jets than Thibodeaux.”
This recent chatter is added on top of the months of slander from a variety of sources that have questioned his drive to be great and concerns about KT caring too much about his brand.
Everything that is written, talked about, or shown on television this week has to be attached to the fun fact that this is lying season. So take these new bits of information with that in mind.
An Interesting Pivot
So if edge rusher is a big need and they aren’t looking at KT, according to the latest rumor mill, then who the heck would they take?
Jordan Raanan who covers the New York Giants for ESPN said a player who will go “higher Thursday than most seem to expect” is Florida State pass rusher, Jermaine Johnson. He doubled down on that saying he “seems to be a top-10 lock and maybe even sneaks into the top-5.”
Connor Hughes who covers the Jets for The Athletic said, “watch the Jets at 4. Yes. 4.”
Double J comes with his own fair share of risks including a one-year wonder label from his time at FSU. He was wildly productive in that one season, but prior to that he was non-existent:
- 11.5 sacks
- Two forced fumbles
- 17.5 tackles for loss
The other criticism I’ve heard from draft folks is a somewhat unknown ceiling. Johnson is expected to have a high floor thanks to his ability against the run, but how good will he be at the next level?
The Jets apparently aren’t scared off by that and according to Hughes “love” Johnson and “more so than KT.” Based on everything that Hughes is hearing the expectation is the Jets would pick the FSU product “over KT.”
Usually smoke where there’s fire. Have had multiple league sources mention Joe Douglas & #Jets’ love of Jermaine Johnson — more so than KT. I believe, based off what I’ve been told, he’d be pick over KT
They have to decide if they feel he’ll be there at 10. If not: Take him at 4
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