Empire Writes Back
Fansided

NFL Mock Draft: New York Jets Select Randy Gregory Sixth Overall

By Kenneth Teape

facebooktwitterreddit

NFL Mock Draft: New York Jets Select Pass Rusher Sixth Overall

The 2015 NFL Draft is quickly approaching, as teams draft boards are starting to become finalized. With that, new mock drafts are being released by all the draft experts. Todd McShay released his newest updated Monday morning, and there are plenty of changes from his last installment. For the first time in his series, McShay has the New York Jets selecting someone other than Oregon Ducks’ quarterback Marcus Mariota. In this installment, he instead has the Jets selecting the Nebraska Cornhuskers’ outside linebacker/defensive end Randy Gregory.

Gregory has become a more recognizable name recently but not for good reasons. Gregory admitted to failing a drug test prior to the NFL Combine for smoking marijuana. That has raised a red flag for some people, as they think he could potentially be a trouble maker. Those people aren’t members of NFL organizations though, and Gregory should not see much of a tumble down the draft board because of what he still offers on the field. If he is available, he will be someone the Jets seriously consider selecting.

Gregory would be a perfect fit for the Jets’ defense under new head coach Todd Bowles as they will be running a base 3-4 defense. Pass rushers is one of the areas of concern for Gang Green, and Gregory would help fill that void right away. He is arguably the most explosive pass rusher in this draft class, which is all the Jets would ask for him to do in the beginning; at Nebraska he was a defensive end, but will transition to linebacker in the NFL, so he will need some time to adjust to the position change.

He is a little smaller and leaner than you would hope, but the explosion and first-step quickness and speed advantage he has more than makes up for it. He would be able to showcase that almost exclusively right the start with the Jets, as the rest of their front seven is extremely talented, allowing Gregory to do what he is best at. Imagine trying to slow down Muhammad Wilkerson, Damon Harrison and Sheldon Richardson first, and then seeing Gregory full speed behind them; that is a scary proposition for opposing offenses.

Gregory does have some concerns, lead by the failed drug test. Failing drug tests is never a positive thing, but it is something that teams were aware of prior to the supposed failed test at the combine, as he had failed ones in college. So it is obviously an issue, but hopefully one a team will be able to control once they have him in house.

Another concern, one that he has less control over, is his health. Gregory missed the 2012 season with a broken leg, and then missed two games this past season with injuries to his left knee and leg.

If the Jets are comfortable with his injury history, and think they can get him to stop with the weed, he would very much be in play as their draft pick. The question is, are the Jets comfortable with him as their pick?

With how McShay has his current mock draft set up, West Virginia Mountaineers’ wide receiver Kevin White is still available. He would give the offense yet another playmaker to get the ball to, something that a team with question marks at quarterback cannot get enough of.

More from New York Jets

Also, the Jets do not have much in the way of younger talent at WR, so adding someone with the upside of White and giving him the time to grow and learn behind Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker could interest the Jets as well.

Whatever the Jets may choose to do, their team will undoubtedly be better opening day. They have an outstanding free agency, and with the sixth overall pick they will be landing another impact player that will help right away. McShay has it being Gregory today, but that could change plenty of more times before the selections are made April 30th.

Next: Who was the best Jets' first-round pick of all-time?

More from Empire Writes Back

Home/New York Jets