The NFLDraftguys staff is going simulate playing the GM of each of the 31 teams picking in the first round and justify their picks. You can look forward to a new pick every day leading up to April 28, when the staff will be in Radio City Music Hall to see if they took our advice.
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Follow the progress of the On The Clock Draft Board, where you can see exactly how the first round would play out if the NFLDraftguys staff were making the calls in the war room.
Sean Baca
With the 25th pick in the 2007 NFL Draft the New York Jets SHOULD take Brandon Meriweather , S, Miami
The Jets have signed two defensive ends to help address the D-line and are in need of help in coverage opposite Dyson. Well, the best of the corner class are gone and the Jets also need help at Safety. They could still take either a D-lineman or corner and it would make sense but with one pick you improve the coverage in the secondary and the safety position.
Meriweather is a cover corner who can play centerfield as well as any D-back in this years class. A problem at Miami and his questionable character mar his draft rank but if you take a chance on a kid you need him to be a top flight player and he is that. This kid can flat out play and may be the best safety in the draft, yes I said the best. The Jets need help on defense in a bad way and Merriweather can fly around the field, helping all aspects of the "D".
Marc Faletti
With the 25th pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, the New York Jets should select Ted Ginn, Jr., WR/KR, Ohio State.
Yes, the Jets need a CB badly. Unfortunately, I don't like any of the players left on my board enough to spend a top-25 pick on them. That includes Aaron Ross, who I believe is too inconsistent to take in the 1st. The Jets also need DL help, and maybe Charles Johnson would be the right fit at DE in the 3-4.
No, the Jets aren't hurting terribly at WR. In fact, they feel so good about Brad Smith's development that they're looking to move McCareins. And no, I'm not the world's biggest Ginn fan, either. I also believe he's inconsistent. The Jets have plenty of other consistent offensive players, though, players like Coles and Cotchery and Jones. But does this team have any real gamebreakers?
More than any other team in the NFL, I believe the Jets need Ginn's sizzle. He may only make 3-4 plays a game, but on all the others (especially on passing downs) the threat of Ginn getting loose will create room for their consistent players to move the chains. Pennington's not a deep-ball thrower, but several signs point to this being his last year in the saddle -- if Mangini doesn't turn to Clemens sooner. Of course, even Pennington can hit Ginn on a screen and let him do the rest.
Cecil Lammey
With the 25th pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, the New York Jets SHOULD take Chris Houston, CB, Arkansas Razorbacks.
The Jets have quite a few positions to fill on the defensive side of the ball, CB being one of them. The offense is coming along nicely under Eric Mangini, now it's time for the other side of the ball to get some love. In the AFC, a team must be able to defend against the pass, not only with a great rush, but also with ballhawks in the secondary. The Jets will love to have a player like Houston on their team.
Chris Houston does a good job in 1 on 1 coverage against some of the best receivers. He is a very physical corner that loves to knock around a WR at the line of scrimmage and break up the timing of a play. He has great upper body strength and long arms that help him direct WR's where he wants them to go. His tremendous athleticism allows him to change direction effectively, and he has good recovery speed.
Sigmund Bloom
With the 25th pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, the New York Jets SHOULD select Aaron Ross, CB, Texas.
The Jets are lucky - they overachieved this year and ended up in the playoff team section of the first, and yet they will still have the option of taking a player who embodies a junction of value and need no matter how the first shakes out. They could address the interior offensive line, the secondary, or add a weapon to the WRs corps or pass rush OLBs. Only one of the options among these also addresses the hole at punt returner on special teams, and that's Aaron Ross
Ross has not shown the shutdown potential of Chris Houston, so the Jets are giving up something to get that boost to the return game. Ross's game should develop while he's working as a nickel/dime back. If things go well, they will have gained a starting corner in 2008 while improving their 3rd down pass defense and punt return threat in the now.
