New York Jets 2008 Draft Picks:Round 1 (6): Vernon Gholston, DE/LB, Ohio State
Round 1 (30): Dustin Keller, TE, Purdue
Round 4 (113): Dwight Lowery, CB, San Jose State
Round 5 (162): Erik Ainge, QB, Tennessee
Round 6 (171): Marcus Henry, WR, Kansas
Round 7 (211): Nate Garner, OT, Arkansas
The Good: There might not be a player with Gholston's upside in the entire draft. A physical freak who made a mess of offensive lines in big games, Gholston could have a Shawne Merriman-type impact on the Jets pass rush. The questions about his consistency and effort need to be answered but there wasn't another player the Jets could've taken with this pick. Henry will be a good red zone target and Garner is a road grader in the run game. Keller will definitely help the offense. Even though he doesn't block, he catches the ball well and creates matchup issues. Brian Schottenheimer will use him in a variety of ways but ...
The Bad: did they really need to trade up to pick him? I don't think he was worth the fourth-round pick they gave up nor the fact that the contract issue with Chris Baker will now be a full-fledged distraction. Lowery isn't fast enough to man up with receivers which will be a problem if the Jets commit to being an attacking defense. Maybe he moves to safety? Either way the four you spent on Keller could have been used to get a better corner, which was a bigger need.
Ainge is a mixed bag. Good size, weak arm, smart, immobile and won't be a factor this season, if ever. He won't kill you if he plays but I don't see where he's got the goods to be a better player than Kellen Clemens. Unlike his uncle Danny, he doesn't have basketball to fall back on if his first athletic pursuit doesn't work out.
The Grade: C+. Gholston's high upside means that there's a fair bit of bust potential at play as well. After picking up Keller it would have been nice to see the team pull the trigger on a trade with Baker to add more help. As it stands, the whole thing will come down to how much of an impact those two players have on the team. Both have the potential to star but there are enough questions to wonder if they'll make good on their promise.
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