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The New York Jets pulled off a big-time move at the backend of the first round.
Gang Green traded back into the first round with the Tennessee Titans to land star pass rusher Jermaine Johnson. Field Yates of ESPN shared the details of the deal:
The Jets traded up from No. 35 in the second round to get a third first-rounder with the No. 26 overall pick.
Gang Green had to give up their third-rounder (No. 69) and a fifth-rounder (No. 163), but they also got back a late third (No. 101 overall) that the Titans received as part of the AJ Brown blockbuster trade on draft night.
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The Solution to a Life-Long Problem
The Jets have been desperately searching for a pass rusher since John Abraham left the team back in 2006.
A player that opposing offenses had to fear and know where he was before every snap or it would cost them. Now it looks like Gang Green has that player according to lead NFL draft analyst Connor Rogers of Bleacher Report:
“He was the sixth overall player on my board. The 10-yard split is an elite metric for him. The Jets need a pass rush for Robert Saleh and they would’ve taken him at No. 10 overall if they would’ve solved the wide receiver problem this offseason. They failed at that. This is an A+ pick and I think he is finally going to end the John Abraham curse.”
Instant Impact Player
The Jets wanted a pass rusher and they got one of the best.
Although the thing that really stands out is what he’ll be able to do right from the get-go. When Saleh spoke to the media following night one, he said JJ is “probably the most pro-ready of all the pass rushers this year.”
While he will have to “develop” a more consistent counter move, per Rodgers, he will be able to contribute immediately in the run game.
Johnson earned quite the reputation at Florida State for his high effort, relentless motor, and ability to set the edge.
That should come in handy for a defense that was downright awful last year, per NFL dot com:
- Allowed 2,351 rushing yards (fourth-worst in the NFL)
- League worst 28 rushing touchdowns allowed
- Gave up over 16 20+ yard runs (second-worst in the NFL)
If you throw Johnson in with the rest of the defensive line group that features Carl Lawson, Quinnen Williams, John Franklin-Myers, Jacob Martin, Sheldon Rankins, Bryce Huff, Vinny Curry, and Solomon Thomas now you’re cooking.
Last year the green and white got pushed around in the run game and weren’t able to provide a consistent pass rush. This year they seem to have all of the proper ingredients for Saleh to show what his defense is truly capable of.
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