Two days into John Idzik's first draft as general manager of the Jets, it is hard not to be awfully impressed by the way he has gone about his business.
On Day 1, the Green & White stayed true to their board. Cornerback Dee Milliner was still available at No. 9 and they were delighted to grab the physical product from Alabama.
"He's a big cornerback who can play press and who can play off," said senior personnel executive Terry Bradway of Milliner. "He's a good tackler. He's probably as complete of a corner as there is in this draft."
Then four selections later, New York's AFC representative did not reach and took Missouri DT Sheldon Richardson with the 13th pick.
Richardson's selection raised some eyebrows because the Jets had used first round-picks on both Muhammad Wilkerson (D1, No. 30) and Quinton Coples (D1, No. 16) in 2011 and 2012 respectively. But the Jets loved Richardson's explosiveness, athleticism and versatility.
"We're a very multiple-front team," said head coach Rex Ryan. "So we can play an odd front, a 46 front and an even front as well. I think some of the versatility of some of the guys we have will allow us to do that."
When people wondered if there would be any offensive playmakers available for the Jets on Days 2 and 3, Idzik insisted the draft was deep and he was confident there would be players there. On Friday, the Jets patiently waited in Round 2 and West Virginia QB Geno Smith slipped to them with the 39th overall selection.
Just a few weeks ago, it seemed Smith was destined to be a Top 10 selection. Smith was arguably the most talented QB in this 2013 class and he is an accomplished gunslinger. Idzik said he wanted to add competition to the quarterback position and he certainly has done that with David Garrard in free agency and now Smith.
"We drafted Geno Smith because he has exceptional talent," Idzik said. "Let's get him into a situation where we can help him and develop that, and let's see where that goes. We're not here to predict what level he's going to be. Let's just let him develop."
The Jets had a need at guard and they addressed the position in the third round, tabbing Kent State OL Brian Winters with 72nd overall selection. The 6'4", 320-pound Winters made 33 stars for the Golden Flashes and was the only second player in school history to be invited to the Senior Bowl.
"I'm always going to have that motto in my life that I still have something to prove," said Winters. "Coming from where I'm from, we weren't spoon-fed. We fed ourselves. I guess I do have a chip on my shoulder then."
Then the Jets used their fourth round selection in order to obtain a young running back with a huge upside via the trade route. Chris Ivory, a 6'0", 222-pounder who played his first three seasons with the Saints, has averaged 5.1 yards per carry over the course of his career with eight touchdowns on the ground.
"He's a very physical, violent runner," Idzik said of Ivory. "He has size and he has speed. He runs with attitude, he plays with attitude. I think you have seen that in the players we have drafted so far the last two days. You're going to feel it in our locker room, you're going to feel it on our practice field in training camp, so I think that is real healthy element that Chris brings to us."
