The success of Joe Douglas’ first draft in the big chair won’t truly be known until years from now, but the new Jets general manager sounded pleased having final say for the first time in his two-decade long NFL career.
“This process went about as smooth as it could go under the circumstances,” Douglas said from his home after drafting nine players during this virtual experience. “I think it was a real team effort… Every department from video to IT to coaching to personnel, we all came together. We embraced the technology…. And there was great communication back and forth. We weren’t afraid to disagree. We weren’t afraid to have tough conversations. And I really think it led us to some good players and a good overall draft.”
Douglas addressed short-term and long-term needs, spreading the wealth by drafting eight positions (four on offense, three on defense and one special teamer). Day three was unofficially Leadership Day for the Jets, who selected five team captains to round out the draft class.
Douglas also made his third trade of the draft by acquiring former Colts second-round cornerback Quincy Wilson for Gang Green’s final pick (No. 211 in the sixth round).
Douglas made no secret that he wanted to improve the league’s worst offense by providing better protection and playmakers for Sam Darnold. The Jets added a starting tackle (Mekhi Becton) and wide receiver (Denzel Mims) with their first two picks before bringing in depth/rotational offensive pieces. Florida running back La’Mical Perine, who was taken with the first of three fourth-round picks on Saturday, is expected to play a complementary role to Le’Veon Bell in the backfield.
“I feel like we got a lot of that accomplished,” head coach Adam Gase said about upgrading the offense. “With kind of how the draft goes, it’s so unpredictable. Joe and his guys did a great job of staying true to the board and really letting it come to them. We got the right kind of guys and we got a lot of positions that we were thin at or missing filled. And we added depth to certain positions. I feel like it turned out as good as we could have hoped for.”
Douglas opted to take a potential backup quarterback (Florida International’s James Morgan) in the fourth round rather than a potential contributor this season. He added offensive line depth (Charlotte’s Cam Clark) and cornerback Bryce Hall, who’s still on the mend from a gruesome ankle injury that prompted him to fall to the fifth round.
In all, Douglas drafted five players who were team captains.
“Talent’s No.1 when you’re discussing how does this player fits on our team,” Douglas said. “Once you get the players slotted… then, okay, let’s talk about this guy’s fit in our building. But there has to be a baseline level of talent. It’s not just the intangibles. You have to have the ability to make this team better. The icing on the cake is the character and the makeup and all the intangibles in making this locker room better.”
Time will tell whether Douglas made the right calls.
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