*Walt taking 2014 and 2018 |
Charlie Campbell, Senior Draft Analyst |
2023 NFL Combine Results - Weigh-Ins and 40 Times
QB | RB | WR | TE | OL | DL | LB | DB
2023 NFL Combine Stock Report:
QB | RB | WR | TE | OL | DL | LB | DB
Jets Unlikely to Take a QB In Early Rounds
Updated March 6, 2017
By Charlie Campbell. Follow Charlie on Twitter @draftcampbell.
The New York Jets have one of the open starting quarterback jobs in the NFL, and there were reports in early January that they were infatuated with North Carolina quarterback Mitch Trubisky. At the January all-star games, Jets sources told WalterFootball.com that wasn’t true, as the team hadn’t done serious work on Trubisky yet. Many teams focus on seniors during the fall, and then go back to do reports on early-entry players. After speaking with Jets sources at the NFL Scouting Combine, New York is unlikely to draft a quarterback in the early rounds, as the Jets aren’t impressed with this class of quarterbacks overall.
Last year, the Jets selected Christian Hackenberg in the second round and sources told WalterFootball.com that he developed well behind the scenes. New York didn’t want to hurt Hackenberg’s development by rushing him onto the field, and they are taking a long-term view regarding the former Penn State quarterback. In the 2015 NFL Draft, New York took Bryce Petty on the third day of the draft. Thus, they have two young quarterbacks with quality skill sets that they have spent time developing and don’t need a third when there isn’t a clear-cut elite quarterback prospect who could interest the Jets with the sixth-overall pick.
With none of the 2017 class impressing them enough – check out our 2017 NFL Draft Quarterback Prospect Rankings – the Jets are more likely to acquire a veteran in free agency. That veteran could compete with their young signal-callers and could be a bridge quarterback. Sources with the Jets just don’t like any of the early-round 2017 quarterback prospects, so one can expect them to pass on the position on the first two days of the draft, and New York may not draft a quarterback at all in 2017.
