The Jets need to draft two or more offensive linemen in the upcoming NFL draft.\u00a0 I have reviewed Ourlads take on this year’s crop.\u00a0 Here is what I would do if I were Joe Douglas.<\/p>\n
I will start with Center.\u00a0 Since we will play McGovern at the pivot and have just signed Feeney who has played an entire season at center, we would appear to be set there for this season.\u00a0 Nevertheless, there is certainly room to add another Center since McGovern and Feeney can play guard and can be cut or not resigned after this season without undue dead money.<\/p>\n
Many have pegged Creed Humphrey<\/strong> to the Jets at #23 and that is good value #34.\u00a0 Ourlads gives Humphrey a second round grade and ranks him at 61st overall.\u00a0\u00a0 I think that we cannot afford to take him earlier than his grade.\u00a0 Further, I am not certain that he will pan out better than the other centers who are available.\u00a0 Humphrey has positional versatility and can develop at guard or center.\u00a0 He also has scheme versatility and could develop in either a man or zone scheme.\u00a0 He is a better run blocker than pass protector and needs work on his technique.\u00a0 In short, he needs to spend a year in the program but has a bright future.\u00a0\u00a0 While he has zone potential, he is not a great fit for the zone scheme.\u00a0 Unless the Jets get him cheap – unlikely since he is a good fit for man schemes – they should pass on him.\u00a0 The other top center – Dickerson – is a man scheme only player.<\/p>\n Drew Dalman<\/strong> has a 4th round grade and is ranked at #134 overall.\u00a0 Dalman is a “center only” prospect and does not project at guard.\u00a0 Nor does he offer scheme versatility.\u00a0 He is a “zone only” and “center only” player.\u00a0 He is too light at 286 lbs for a man scheme.\u00a0 Nor does he have room for more weight and is a finished product.\u00a0 Highly intelligent – he went to Stanford – Ourlads says “he is a day one starter” in a zone scheme.\u00a0 The son of OL Chris Dalman, he reminds me of Tom Nalen – the long-time pro bowl center for the Broncos.\u00a0 Nalen played in a zone scheme at 260 lbs and the whole league was afraid of him.\u00a0 Zone schemes value quickness and lateral agility over raw bulk and power.\u00a0 Like Nalen, Dalman is an ideal fit for the zone scheme we are running.\u00a0 Would I take him at #107?\u00a0 No.\u00a0 Would I take him at #146?\u00a0 Yes, I would.\u00a0 If we like somebody better at another position, I would pass and see if we can get him later.\u00a0 This is why.<\/p>\n Michael Menet<\/strong> out of Penn State, Trey Hill<\/strong> out of Georgia and Jimmy Morrissey<\/strong> out of Pitt are all great fits for a zone scheme.\u00a0 All have potential to develop into starters.\u00a0 All are cheap.\u00a0 Menet carries a 6th round grade, Hill and Morrissey carry 7th round grades.\u00a0 It is certainly possible that none of them get drafted.\u00a0 I would be happy to bring one in with one of our 6th round picks and develop him.\u00a0 Menet is an athletic center who is a good fit for a zone scheme but needs to get stronger.\u00a0 Hill is a monster who also has the wheels and quickness to play zone.\u00a0 He has positional versatility and could develop at guard or center.\u00a0 He needs work on his technique and is not ready or he would go earlier.\u00a0 Like Dalmen, Morrissey is a “center only” and “zone scheme” only player.\u00a0 Because Dalman, Menet and Morressey lack both positional and scheme versatility, they are going to go later in the draft than players like Humphrey who offers both.\u00a0 Hill is still raw and will take time to develop.\u00a0 I could see him going earlier than his grade because he offers positional and scheme versatility.<\/p>\n I see bargains aplenty at “center only” this year for zone scheme teams like the Jets.\u00a0 As a result, I am a bargain hunter.\u00a0 Think of the draft as a giant water balloon.\u00a0 If you squeeze here, it bulges there.\u00a0 We need to be opportunistic.\u00a0 Due to the number of “zone only’ – “center only” players, it’s a buyer’s market and we should be able to get one cheap.\u00a0 I want to draft one of the players I listed.\u00a0 I do not care which one nor will I reach for one.\u00a0 If one goes undrafted, then I would invite him to camp.\u00a0 If all go undrafted, I would invite them all.<\/p>\n Let’s look at the guards.\u00a0 The top guy is Alijah Vera-Tucker<\/strong> (AVT) out of USC.\u00a0 Ourlads says he “has legitimate inside out versatility”.\u00a0 They rank him 23d overall and give him a first round grade.\u00a0 I believe he is a better fit for a man scheme than a zone scheme.\u00a0 He also has a higher draft grade because he has potential to play tackle.\u00a0 Not because he will make a better guard for a zone scheme team like the Jets.\u00a0 It would be nice if they drafted him at #23 assuming he worked out at tackle.\u00a0 But if he ends up at guard then he is over drafted at #23.\u00a0 There is little doubt that he is a solid player and a good candidate for any offensive line.\u00a0 But that is true of the other zone scheme guards with starting grades.\u00a0 I would pass on him at #23.\u00a0 I cannot see bringing in an inside out player at #23 if he is not a solid starter at right tackle and a good fit for a zone scheme.\u00a0 The review leaves that in doubt.\u00a0 Moreover, there are several players with starting grades in this draft who are good fits for guard only in our zone scheme.\u00a0 There are also tackles with better potential for a zone scheme who are also cheaper.\u00a0 These players will be better fits for our scheme and will cost less to acquire.<\/p>\n Lets look at Teven Jenkins<\/strong> out of Oklahoma State since he is regularly mocked to the Jets and has risen in the eyes of the online pundits.\u00a0 Ourlads sees Jenkins as a tackle and gives him a second round grade at #57 overall.\u00a0 They describe a man scheme blocker who is better at run blocking than pass blocking.\u00a0 They also opine that he spends “too much time on the ground” and needs work on his technique “from head to toe”. \u00a0 He does not appear to be a fit for a zone scheme and also will need time to develop.\u00a0 Based on the review and his projected draft value, I hope we steer clear of him at #23 and #34. \u00a0 Furthermore, there are tackles I do like at #34.\u00a0 So if I do not like AVT or Jenkins for guard or tackle at either #23 or #34, who do I like?\u00a0 After all, I agree with the whole world that the Jets need to improve the offensive line, especially inside.<\/p>\n There are three players I like and would not leave the third round without one.\u00a0 First is Quinn Meinerz<\/strong> from Outer Mongolian Technical College (OK, he is from UW – Whitewater – wherever that is).\u00a0 His school cancelled the season so he has not played since 2019.\u00a0 Invited to the Senior Bowl, Ourlads said “he simply dominated all week”.\u00a0 They give him a 3d round grade and make clear he has potential to play center or guard.\u00a0 He checks all the boxes, long arms (33) big hands (10) and 35 reps.\u00a0 He was a two-time team captain, won the team fitness awards etc.\u00a0 They believe he “is a safe bet to start” and give him a glowing write up.\u00a0 Is he ready for this season?\u00a0 No.\u00a0 He probably needs a year in the program.\u00a0 But he has tremendous upside with the excellent movement skills needed for zone.\u00a0 He is ranked in the 3d round because he is not a tackle.\u00a0 So what. He will pan out better at guard than Jenkins or AVT.\u00a0 So will these guys.<\/p>\n Next is Alex Leatherwood<\/strong> out of Alabama.\u00a0 While he played tackle last season, Ourlads projects him inside and gives him a 3d round grade (right behind Meinerz).\u00a0 They make clear “he can step into an NFL offensive line week one if needed”.\u00a0 Despite being an obvious fit for a man blocking scheme, Ourlads makes clear that he is “capable of mirroring and sliding with balance and control” and “he has athletic quick feet”.\u00a0 While I believe that Meinerz is a better fit for our zone scheme, Leatherwood can work for us and offers inside out potential at right tackle.\u00a0 He is ready to start right away and is a nightmare run blocker.\u00a0 I would grab him in the third.\u00a0 If we take Meinerz at 66, I would take Leatherwood at 86.\u00a0 I would also do it visa-versa.\u00a0 Yet there is someone else to consider . . .<\/p>\n Kendrick Green<\/strong> out of Illinois also carries a 3d round grade and is a good fit for the zone scheme.\u00a0 Said Ourlads “everything is quick – start, feet and hands”.\u00a0 Further “his use of hands to stab, punch and control his opponent is unsurpassed for interior lineman in this draft”.\u00a0 Like Meinerz, he not a tackle and must play inside.\u00a0 Like Meinerz, he has potential to play center.\u00a0 Like Meinerz, he is as good in pass protection as he is in the run game.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The only knock on Green is he is only 6′ 1.7″ in height but Ourlads gives him “extra ornery points”.\u00a0 I believe that these three players have every bit as much potential as AVT or Jenkins and are better fits for our zone scheme.\u00a0 I would take two of them in the third round if I could and grab a center only player opportunistically late in the draft and call it a day. \u00a0 But what about tackle?<\/p>\n Obviously Sewell, Slater and even Darrisaw have potential to help the Jets.\u00a0 Well, they are not getting them nor would I take Darrisaw at #23 or #34.\u00a0\u00a0 I prefer the potential of other players.\u00a0 I like Dillon Radunz<\/strong> out of North Dakota State, Spencer Brown<\/strong> out of Northern Iowa and Liam Eichenberg<\/strong> out of Notre Dame. \u00a0 Since they are tackles, they are expensive players.\u00a0 Goes with the territory.<\/p>\n Dillon Radunz<\/strong> carries a 2d round grade and is ranked at #44 overall.\u00a0 Ourlads calls him an “ideal fit for a heavy zone blocking scheme” like the Jets.\u00a0 He is a fit at left tackle and has “elite body control and athleticism for the outside”.\u00a0 A word here about Ourlads.\u00a0 I have been reading them for years.\u00a0 When they say “elite” they mean it.\u00a0 It is not hyperbole or puffing.\u00a0 The only higher praise is when they use the word “rare”.\u00a0 They love this guy and said “he had a solid week” at the Senior Bowl.\u00a0 Nevertheless, they make clear that “he will need to live in the weight room” and needs to “get more movement in the run game”. \u00a0 If we took him at #34, I would understand.\u00a0 Tackles are expensive and he is an excellent fit.\u00a0 He needs some time to develop but is a better fit than AVT at tackle and a much better fit than Jenkins.\u00a0 Yes, his arrival means the Jets could move Becton to the right side.<\/p>\n Spencer Brown<\/strong> is a classic penthouse or the outhouse prospect.\u00a0 He carries a 2d round grade and is ranked 49th overall.\u00a0 Remember, we are talking NFL offensive tackles.\u00a0 These are rare human beings and are costly in draft capital and hard to find.\u00a0 Sometimes you have to make a leap of faith.\u00a0 Risky as hell.\u00a0 Spencer Brown is out of Northern Iowa (aka – nowhere).\u00a0 He played 8-man high school football in small school USA, played six games as a sophomore and had his season cancelled last year.\u00a0\u00a0 There is little tape on this guy.\u00a0 Nevertheless, Ourlads writes “there are only so many humans who are 6′ 8.5″ with his feet and ability to bend their knees and most of them are playing power forward in the NBA.”\u00a0 He has “elite flexibility” for a tall lineman and has “rare traits and pro bowl potential”.\u00a0 He is the “top athlete” at tackle this year.\u00a0 At the Senior Bowl, he was beat early but then showed why he is considered an “elite pass protector”.\u00a0 But he is RAW and will need a year to develop. \u00a0 If we took him at #34, I would understand.\u00a0 Like Radunz, he is a great fit and is not ready this season.\u00a0 Unlike Radunz, this guy is pure projection.\u00a0 Like Radunz, it means they could move Becton to the right side.<\/p>\n Liam Eichenberg<\/strong> carries a 2nd round grade and is ranked #51st overall.\u00a0 Unlike Radunz and Brown, he is ready right now.\u00a0 He is an inside out prospect who can play guard if needed.\u00a0 Ourlads says “his techniques are repeatable and has good brute strength in his hands and base”.\u00a0 They offer praise that “his lower half has obviously spent a great deal of time in the weight room”.\u00a0 He is more of a finished product than Radunz or Brown but does not have their elite upside.\u00a0 He would start for us on day one at right tackle or either guard spot.\u00a0 Like Radunz and Brown, if we took him at #34, I would understand.\u00a0 He is a good fit and can help us right now.<\/p>\n Would I draft one of these tackles at #34?\u00a0 I am not sure, I definitely would not draft them at #23.\u00a0 So hard to find talent and nobody knows what the board will look like by pick # 34 and I could not answer until I see who is there.\u00a0 I know I would take the running backs Harris or Etienne first.\u00a0 I would also take Rondale Moore, Elijah Moore or Terrance Marshall at wideout first.\u00a0 But I would understand the argument to take one of these tackles instead.\u00a0 But to be honest, I think our offensive line needs help inside more than we need a tackle and we can find that help in the third round and later.\u00a0 But these are the lineman who can help us complete our zone scheme.\u00a0 We can plug more expensive players into the line but they are not as good fits as the players I have discussed.<\/p>\n Remember your Parcells: “You cannot compromise your prototypes”.\u00a0 These tackles are better fits than the more expensive players.\u00a0 So are the guards.\u00a0 The best value this year is at Center.<\/p>\n