Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
A great opportunity may have been squandered by the New York Jets. The Jets chose defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson with the 13th pick in the 2013 NFL Draft. This selection, of course, came as a result of the Darrelle Revis trade with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Besides the financial freedom gained, there was also an added ability to address multiple areas of need.
Cornerback Dee Milliner came to New York with the sixth overall pick. I did not believe that Milliner would be available at that point and by taking him, the Jets replaced the void left by Revis’ departure. After upgrading the defensive secondary, bringing in an explosive weapon on offense was a logical next step.
New York’s front office, including general manager John Idzik, proceeded to go in a completely opposite direction. A potentially dynamic player presented this team with an option to add Notre Dame tight end Tyler Eifert. As I have stated on multiple occasions, a solid receiver at this position provides a vital component to the West Coast offense. Eifert registered 11 touchdowns during three years in college. The Jets still have Jeff Cumberland, however, he is not enough. Entering the Draft Richardson was highly regarded as a defensive tackle prospect. While the Jets may have obtained a quality player, however, it did not represent the highest level of necessity.
Kendrick Ellis has a lot of potential at this same defensive tackle position. There is also much to like about him despite the fact that he only has 24 career tackles. Ellis plays with energy and has great size. If head coach Rex Ryan wanted to go with defense again in the first round he should have targeted an outside linebacker like Jarvis Jones. Richardson might have been tempting as he enjoyed success at Missouri while making 54 stops in just two years. Offensive firepower continues to lack, however, this should have been taken care of while Eifert was right in front of a franchise desperate for a spark.
