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The good, bad and ugly of Mike Maccagnan’s final Jets draft

Jets general manager Joe Douglas will get to conduct his first draft in a little more than a week. He has eight picks to improve the team. But as Jets fans know, the draft can be tricky. Before we get to the 2020 NFL Draft, let’s take a look back at the Jets’ 2019 draft …

Jets general manager Joe Douglas will get to conduct his first draft in a little more than a week. He has eight picks to improve the team. But as Jets fans know, the draft can be tricky.

Before we get to the 2020 NFL Draft, let’s take a look back at the Jets’ 2019 draft and how former GM Mike Maccagnan’s final class fared in their rookie seasons:

First round, No. 3 overall pick — DT Quinnen Williams, Alabama

Here is the thing: Williams did not play poorly, but he was not the dominant force that teams hope they are drafting with a top-3 pick. Williams played well against the run and defensive coordinator Gregg Williams praised his versatility in playing multiple positions along the defensive line.

Williams played in 13 games. He had 28 tackles, four for a loss. He had 2.5 sacks, six quarterback hits and a fumble recovery. He was slowed by an ankle injury early in the season.

Williams is just 22 years old, so it is way too soon to make any pronouncements on how he will turn out. What will define Williams, though, is how others drafted behind him do. Many fans wanted the Jets to take edge-rusher Josh Allen instead of Williams. He had 10.5 sacks as a rookie. If Allen becomes a dominant edge-rusher, it will be tough for Williams to stack up.

There is also the issue of Williams’ arrest last month at LaGuardia Airport for trying to board a plane with a gun. All indications are this was a mistake made by a young man who did not understand the law and not a red flag about his character. He will have to pay a price in the courts, though, once they reopen and the NFL likely will come down on him, too.

Third round, No. 68 overall pick — OLB Jachai Polite, Florida

Jachai PoliteGetty Images

There are bad draft choices and then there are horrendous draft choices. Polite was the latter. The Jets knew he had character concerns at Florida, but felt they were getting a first-round talent in the third round, so they took the risk.

Polite racked up more than $100,000 in fines, according to sources, in four months with the team. He was part of the roster cutdown after training camp. He spent most of last season on the Rams practice squad and they signed him to a futures deal at the end of the season.

Third round, No. 92 overall pick — OT Chuma Edoga, USC

Edoga ended up playing more than expected as a rookie partly because of injuries and partly because their line stunk. He started eight games and moved between left and right tackle.

Edoga struggled mightily. PFF graded him the 79th tackle out of 80 it graded. Still, the Jets remain high on Edoga. They believe he is athletic and can develop. The Jets are expected to select a tackle in this year’s draft, but Edoga could have a chance to compete for the starting right tackle spot depending on how things shake out.

Fourth round, No. 121 overall — TE Trevon Wesco, West Virginia

One of the benefits of Chris Herndon being limited to one game in 2019 was it gave Wesco some increased playing time. He was the only rookie to play in all 16 games. While his chances to touch the ball were limited (one rush, two catches), he made the most of them, picking up two critical first downs in the win over the Giants. Wesco also was used as a fullback, a role the Jets should use more in 2020.

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Fifth round, No. 157 overall  — LB Blake Cashman, Minnesota

With injuries to C.J. Mosley and Avery Williamson, Cashman got some playing time early in the season. He suffered a shoulder injury of his own, which ended his year after seven games. Still, Cashman showed promise both on defense and special teams.

Sixth round, No. 196 overall  — CB Bless Austin, Rutgers

Austin did not participate in training camp or the first half of the season as he recovered from a knee injury suffered in college. He ended up starting six games in the second half of the season, though, and showed a lot of potential. He should get a chance to compete for a starting spot in training camp this year.

Undrafted free agent  — DE Kyle Phillips, Tennessee

Phillips was not a draft pick but deserves to be included here because he had the best rookie season for the Jets. He played both inside and outside along the line. Phillips had 1.5 sacks, 39 tackles, seven for a loss and six quarterback hits. He should be a big part of the defensive line rotation in 2020.

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