Per study, the New York Jets did better than any team in the NFL Draft in obtaining 'draft capital'
The New York Jets had one of the best performances in last month’s NFL Draft, a haul of nine players that addressed needs and added some badly needed depth. In fact, it was the best draft in the NFL according to an analytical study of the metrics of the draft.
Heading into the draft, the Jets ranked eleventh in the league in terms of draft capital but with plenty of needs and holes on both sides of their two-deep, it wasn’t simply enough for them to sit on their original seven picks. Twice, general manager Joe Douglas made trades in the draft, accruing picks (and even making a trade for a selection in 2021). What Douglas was able to do was turn his original six selections into eight picks, allowing him at the top half of the draft to add several starting caliber rookies in positions of need such as left tackle, wide receiver and defensive end.
Then he was able to secure several other players who will be instant contributors and could well develop into prominent players or starters within a season or two.
In fact, no team in the league did more to gain additional draft capital than the Jets who, according to OverTheCap.com, leapt to sixth in the NFL Draft in terms of draft capital.
"Joe Douglas and company approached their first draft with a patient mindset. They are thinking long-term and not falling for the fallacy of getting 'their guy’,” said Brad Spielberger (@BradOTC) of Over The Cap.
"They were able to move back in the second and still take a stud wide receiver that had been mocked in the first round for months in Baylor's Denzel Mims."
The draft for the Jets was dominated by a couple of storylines, including the selection of a much-needed left tackle in the first round (Mekhi Becton). In addition, the pick of Mims in the second round, a move that was remarkable given that the Jets moved back from No. 48 and still got Mims 11 picks later, could well develop into the stuff of folk lore.
But another move that went under the radar a bit was trading with the New England Patriots. It may have angered hardcore fans to trade with a division rival and a hated one at that but sending No. 101 to New England for No. 125 and No. 129 plus a sixth round selection next year was a good move according to Spielberger.
“Later in the draft they landed a great deal with the New England Patriots. For years, the Patriots were the ones stockpiling Draft capital with trade backs while other teams jumped up to take players that busted as often as they hit,” Spielberger said. “Joe Douglas demonstrated he has good relationships with everyone in the NFL, including the bitter division-rival Patriots, and had himself a stellar draft debut."
Spielberger is also the author of The Draft Stage: Creating a Marketplace for NFL Draft Picks.
