New York Jets Named a Day 1 Winner in 2017 NFL Draft

With the 2017 NFL Draft officially over, it’s time to break down how teams did throughout the three days. For the New York Jets, they were certainly a Day 1 winner.

Coming into the 2017 NFL Draft, the New York Jets had needs all over the place. After a poor season, pretty much any player they chose in the first round would have helped.

Due to three offensive players being selected in the first five picks, the Jets were fortunate to have safety Jamal Adams fall into their laps. Adams was considered to be one of the top defensive players in the draft and was arguably the best prospect in the secondary.

For the Jets, Adams will certainly fill a need in the secondary in 2017. Last season, the Jets had one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL, and it was clearly an area of need. Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN recently named the Jets a winner for Day 1 of the draft. Here’s what Kiper had to say about the selection of Adams.

"The Jets have needs all over their roster, so they get a win for taking the best player available. Jamal Adams is one of the safest picks in this class, a defender who can play in the box, cover tight ends and slot receivers and blitz. He is built for today’s NFL. Plus Adams is a winner, too; he was drafted higher than his father, George, who was taken 19th overall in 1985. They made a $50,000 bet about who would be drafted higher. Pay up, George!"

Adding Adams into the secondary instantly makes the Jets’ secondary better next season. Unlike Calvin Pryor, who might be dealt, Adams is a complete safety.

One of the reasons why Pryor has fallen out of favor in New York is because of his inability to play in coverage. In pass-happy NFL, safeties have to be able to cover, even if they are great in the box.

Next: Complete First Round Grades

Adding Adams won’t instantly make the Jets a playoff team, but he was a very good selection for them. After making some mistakes in recent drafts, Adams is pretty close to a sure thing for the Jets.