James Lang/US Presswire
During the last weekend of April, New York Jets fans found an aviator who can fly their Jets to the top of the AFC East. During the 2009 NFL Draft in Radio City Music Hall, former Jets intern and current NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced, “OK Jet Fans. Cleveland traded the fifth pick to the New York Jets. And with the fifth pick of 2009 NFL Draft, the New York Jets select Mark Sanchez, quarterback, USC.”
“This is our guy. Let’s go get him”, said the Jets’ new head coach, Rex Ryan, after he went to see Sanchez at Mission Viejo High in California.
Well, here is a four-word sentence for those who question if Sanchez even compares to Jets legendary quarterback Joe Namath: he’s no average Joe.
In high school alone, Sanchez won six individual crème de le crème awards and was named to 17 all-star teams. At the University of Southern California, he displayed his skills and readiness for the NFL in the Rose Bowl rout of Penn State, which would be the final and biggest game of his collegiate career.
One question that continues to arise is whether Sanchez is ready for the N.Y. media? Well, USC has a big spotlight itself, being a college football powerhouse and NFL top-prospect producing factory. Pete Carroll, who helped quarterbacks Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart each win the Heisman Trophy, coached Sanchez for three years. Not to mention, the former Trojan has a charismatic and confident personality, which was proved when he entered the draft despite Carroll’s public disapproval.
The Jets’ front office seems to agree; they traded defensive end Kenyon Coleman, quarterback Brett Ratliff, promising defensive back Abram Elam, the seventeenth overall pick and a second round pick, just to move up twelve spots to select Sanchez.
However, the Jets did not only select Sanchez; they also drafted Iowa running back Shonn Greene in the third round and Nebraska offensive guard Matthew Slauson in the sixth round.
Greene was drafted as insurance for Thomas Jones, the Jets’ current starting halfback. Jones is, rumored to be, unhappy with his current contract; he is entering his tenth season in the league at age 30, and although he was ran for more than 1,100 yards in each of his seasons with the Jets, it is worth noting that Jets great Curtis Martin declined, in a major way, in his eleventh season. In addition, Greene is a quality blocker and runs with the same powerful style that Jones runs with.
Slauson has: good strength and awareness, average blocking skills, and subpar agility to go along with questionable character, which stems from him vandalizing cars in parking lot in 2007. He has an improbable chance of making the final roster.
Jets earned an A as their draft grade.
The other New York team, the Giants, did not do too shabby themselves. With their first round pick, the Giants selected North Carolina wide receiver Hakeem Nicks. Nicks is not that fast but possesses great catching ability. The Giants also selected California Polytechnic State wide receiver Ramses Barden in third round. Barden has giant size for a wideout, standing at 6 feet 6 and weighing 229 pounds. He has: great leaping ability, good body control, did not miss a single game as a four-year starter, and has great work ethic. The combination of Nicks and Barden should be able to make former Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress’ absence less apparent.
In the second round, Virginia outside linebacker Clint Sintim was selected by the Giants to prep as a potential replacement for either Antonio Pierce or Danny Clark, two starting linebackers that now are in their 30s. Connecticut offensive tackle William Beatty was also selected in the second based on his exceptional agility and awareness, yet it is debatable whether or not he will fit in with the Giants who is smash-mouth team and Beatty, reported to be, a finesse player.
Giants also drafted: Wisconsin tight end Travis Beckum, who is quicker than most linebackers and could make an immediate impact, North Carolina State running back Andre Brown, who is a powerful runner, Sam Houston State quarterback Rhett Bomar, who has an unresolved character but a strong arm, and cornerbacks DeAndre Wright of New Mexico and Stoney Woodson of South Carolina.
The 2007 Super Bowl champions’ draft grade would be a B, for the questionable selections of Beatty and Bomar, as well as not trading their early picks for star wideout Anquan Boldin or Braylon Edwards.