Will the Jets select Marcus Mariota in the 2015 NFL Draft?

The green side of New York City suffered through a tough 2014 campaign. They had 12 draft picks – only one of which provided any decent contribution – a head coach on the hottest of all seats, and a misfiring team with a broken secondary and a questionable offense.

Though nobody expected the Jets to be Super Bowl contenders, they still fell short of expectations, earning just four wins. Draft and free agency misses by general manager John Idzik – namely, failing to bring in good corners and not delivering on his promises of true competition in camp – resulted in not only the loss of his own job, but also the job of head coach Rex Ryan, who has now taken over up north in Buffalo.

The new regime headed by former Houston Texans personnel Mike Maccagnan and ex-Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles has already started paving over the cracks left by the old guard. The additions of Darrelle Revis, Antonio Cromartie, Marcus Gilchrist and Buster Skrine will shore up a previously shaky secondary, while the acquisition of Brandon Marshall from the Chicago Bears in a trade will give the Jets a top offensive weapon for the next couple of years. But if the Jets want to reverse their fortunes, then Maccagnan and Bowles can’t rest on their laurels. There are still holes on their roster, but they can address some of those needs in the upcoming NFL draft. Here’s a look at what they need and who they may select.

Offense

Quarterback

A longtime weakness for the Jets has been the quarterback position. You would have to go back to 2008 to find the last time that the team had a Pro Bowler at the position, and even then it was a 39-year-old Brett Favre, who was winding down his career. The answer doesn’t lie on their depth chart. After all, Geno Smith has only shown flashes of great play in his first two seasons, and while Ryan Fitzpatrick is a solid quarterback, he isn’t the next-level player that the Jets need to move it up a gear. There’s also Matt Simms, but he hasn’t done much since going undrafted in 2012.

They need to get better at the position, and could take a young prospect in the draft. At number six overall, Marcus Mariota might be in play once Gang Green steps up to the fore. However, the Heismann Trophy holder could be taken before six, and so the Jets may be forced to look at the other options. They’ve already worked out, or plan to work out Baylor’s Bryce Petty, UCLA’s Brett Hundley and Colorado State’s Garrett Grayson, and it’s likely that all three will be available at an expense less than their first round pick.

If the Jets do take a rookie quarterback in Chicago, don’t expect them to play much in their first year. This is the team that made both Mark Sanchez and Geno Smith day one starters, and neither panned out as intended. And with Ryan Fitzpatrick and Smith on the roster ready to take the 2015 starting role, a rookie QB could have a redshirt year, meaning minimal fantasy impact on their part.

Current QBs: Geno Smith, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Matt Simms

Potential draft targets: Marcus Mariota (Oregon), Jameis Winston (FSU), Bryce Petty (Baylor), Brett Hundley (UCLA), Garrett Grayson (Colorado State)

Running Back

Another position of need for the Jets is running back. While the team did just ink Stevan Ridley (whilst he inked himself) to a one-year deal and handed Bilal Powell the same, with the bruising Chris Ivory rounding out their rushing trio. They also have former St Louis Ram Darryl Richardson, but after he spent his entire 2014 on the practice squad his outlook for next season looks bleak. The Jets have their power backs in place, but are lacking a speed back and a receiving threat out of the backfield. There are plenty of options in this year’s draft to fix that.

The best running backs in the 2015 draft are Georgia’s Todd Gurley and Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon. Both have the potential to be top-tier RBs in the NFL, but Gordon could be more suited to the Jets as he is slightly faster than Gurley and has the ability to run outside of the tackles as well as present a home-run threat that the Jets are sorely lacking in. On the other hand, Gurley has enough pace to solidify Gang Green’s ground game, whilst also offering them a more potent passing outlet.

But neither may be the man to take with the sixth overall pick. A more likely scenario would be a trade down with another team before taking one of the RBs later in the first round, though New York could also choose to look past day one to find their man. Boise State’s Jay Ajayi should be available on day two, and has power, speed and balance that could help his new team step it up on the ground. There’s also the University of Miami’s Duke Johnson, who may be worth a look.

Rookie running backs are intriguing in fantasy football. They shouldn’t be relied upon, because the first year of a player’s professional career is always going to involve a steep learning curve. A rookie is likely to need time to adjust from college ball. However, there are a fair few who excel and become important fantasy players as the year progresses, with recent examples including Alfred Morris, Doug Martin, Eddie Lacy, Zac Stacy and Jeremy Hill; so if the Jets were to land a running back, it could merit a late-round fantasy pick in your draft.

Current RBs: Chris Ivory, Bilal Powell, Stevan Ridley, Darryl Richardson

Potential draft targets: Melvin Gordon (Wisconsin), Todd Gurley (Georgia), Jay Ajayi (Boise State), Duke Johnson (Miami)

Wide Receiver

This is less of a position of need for the team. They signed Brandon Marshall last month, which gives them a solid wide receiving corps, also including Eric Decker and slot receiver Jeremy Kerley. They also have veterans Chris Owusu, T.J. Graham, Saalim Hakim and Walt Powell, in addition to sophomores Quincy Enunwa and Shaq Evans. However, I’m including the WR position here because New York might take a superstar WR anyway. Pick number six could represent luxury and the selection of the best WR available, rather than fulfilling an immediate need.

If they are to go BPA, it could be a close contest between two wide receivers – Amari Cooper of Alabama, and West Virginia’s Kevin White. White has a height advantage and ran slightly faster in the 40-yard dash than Cooper did at the NFL Combine, but Cooper is a playmaker who could transform an offense. Both would be hard for the Jets to pass on, and the general consensus is that they will transition well from college to the pros.

But if Mike Maccagnan doesn’t want to take either with their first round pick, there is plenty of opportunity to find talent later in this deep WR class. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see names such as Jaelen Strong, Philip Dorsett and Devin Smith considered by the team. There is also the extremely talented Dorial Green-Beckham, who could even be available late on day 2. But there are big character concerns with him, and he would most likely be a project pick.

If the Jets decide to go for a receiver in this draft, it’s unlikely that they would be immediate fantasy contributors with uncertain quarterback play and already established players higher up in the pecking order. However, this is not a bad thing for the player. The rookie would be behind veterans that they could learn from, potentially improving their chance to make a splash further down the line.

Current WRs: Eric Decker, Brandon Marshall, Jeremy Kerley, Chris Owusu, T.J. Graham, Shaq Evans, Quincy Enunwa, Saalim Hakim, Walt Powell

Potential draft targets: Amari Cooper (Alabama), Kevin White (West Virginia), Jaelen Strong (Arizona State), Philip Dorsett (Miami), Devin Smith (Ohio State), Dorial Green-Beckham (Oklahoma)

Defense

Outside Linebacker

While the Jets may have more pressing needs on the other side of the football, a pick to address the team’s need of a premier outside pass rusher could take Kacy Rodgers’ defense to the next level and solidify the Jets as one of the best defensive teams in the NFL.

USC’s Leonard Williams has been touted as the best player in the draft, and can line up as a tackle or an end. But for all his potential, he isn’t the speed rusher off the edge that would be a perfect fit for the Jets, even though he has undeniable talent. That’s why they might look to go another way, even if Williams does fall past Tennessee and the rest of the first five teams. Dante Fowler is another player expected to be off the board, but if he does fall to the Jets then he could be the man for New York. Other options include Shane Ray, Bud Dupree, Vic Beasley and Randy Gregory.

If the Jets do take a pass rusher with their first pick in the draft, then their D/ST in fantasy football should be held in high regard. Obviously there are no guarantees that they will be a successful unit this year, but with a pick like this, all signs would be pointing to top five.

Current OLBs: Quinton Coples, Jason Babin, Calvin Pace, IK Enemkpali, Trevor Reilly

Potential draft targets: Dante Fowler (Florida), Shane Ray (Missouri), Vic Beasley (Clemson), Bud Dupree (Kentucky), Randy Gregory (Nebraska)

Tom Woods is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from Tom, check out his archive and follow him @RealTomWoods.