Round Three: Lorenzo Carter
In round three, Sean looks at improving the weak pass rush:
"Carter didn’t put up huge sack numbers at Georgia (14.0 sacks in 48 career games), but he has the potential to be a productive pass rusher at the next level if coached up. He also added 21.5 career tackles for loss. Carter is a freak athlete with plenty of speed. He can bend the edge and get to the passer, which is coveted in today’s NFL. He’s also a very good run defender and is athletic enough to excel in coverage."
Let’s talk about the word potential for a moment. Every player entering the draft has potential, but there are some players that are more locks than others. Players in the third round and back, with some exceptions, often turn out to be the developmental players. They aren’t often the studs of that particular draft. There is nothing wrong with selecting that type of player when they fit the situation.
The issue is that the Jets need to step up the pass rush now. They cannot wait for a young player to develop. 14 sacks in college does not show me a player that is going to be an edge force on the big stage in year one. The Jets have reached for a pass rusher too often in the past. Dylan Donahue and Lorenzo Mauldin are only two of the examples. They need to go pass rush early if they are going to improve it.
It actually wouldn’t be a shock if this was how the draft transpired. It could at least be how the positions lay out. Mike Maccagnan’s history of selecting defense in the first round would lend towards it. However, this time around it is not the best way to get Jets success.