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New York Jets: There’s a lot to like about Bryce Petty

By Nick Ziegler

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The quarterback situation for the New York Jets has been a real weakness of the team for the past several seasons.

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It is very difficult to find a franchise quarterback in the NFL, and the Jets are a very good example of that. The Jets have recently used Top-10 pick on Mark Sanchez, who is no longer on the team, or even a starting quarterback in the NFL.

Most recently the Jets selected Geno Smith with their second-round pick in the 2013 NFL Draft. Smith has struggled so far in his career with the Jets, and his chances could be running out with the Jets.

The Jets wisely decided against making a big trade to move up in the 2015 NFL Draft to select Jameis Winston or Marcus Mariota. The price for the Jets to move up four spots in the draft would have been steep, and neither Winston nor Mariota is a lock as prospect coming out of college like an Andrew Luck was.

Instead of trying to get a quarterback in the first-round, the Jets used a fourth-round pick on Bryce Petty.

Petty played four seasons for the Baylor Bears, and was the starter for his final two. Petty was a winner at Baylor, as in his two seasons as a starter Baylor won two Big 12 Championships. Petty had a very impressive 21-4 record in those two seasons.

Sometimes when a quarterback goes in the later-rounds it is because of his lack of size, or strength in his throwing arm. Petty doesn’t have those issues, as he is 6’3”, 230lbs, and has a very strong right arm. The knock on Petty was that he was in a spread system at Baylor, but he just ran the offense that he was told too.

“What I was asked to do in college, it’s different, but it’s not because I couldn’t do a pro-style offense, that’s just what I was told to do so I did it,” Petty said to Bryan Costello of the New York Post. “And I did it to the best of my ability.”

Petty had a lot of success in that offense, as at Baylor he totaled 8,195 passing yards, 62 passing touchdowns, a 62.5 completion percentage, and just 10 interceptions. Despite the success in college, Petty is going to have a lot to learn about a pro system.

Feb 21, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Baylor Bears quarterback Bryce Petty throws a pass during the 2015 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

“You have people that question you and that was their decision, so my job now is to prove to the other 31 teams what they’re missing out on,” Petty told Costello. “I’m so excited to be a Jet right now and get to further my playing career in New York, and that’s all I’m worried about now. I’m still very confident in my abilities. I think you have to, as any competitor, especially at quarterback and especially at quarterback in the NFL. You’re graded on two things and that is wins and losses.”

Petty is certainly going to have a chance to make it with the Jets. Neither Smith nor Fitzpatrick are going to the Jets’ franchise quarterback more than likely. If Petty can adjust to the pro system, he the potential to be a very good quarterback in the NFL.

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

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