New York Jets select Chris Herndon: The initial reaction
Reaction to the New York Jets selection of Chris Herndon in the fourth round of the NFL draft.
The New York Jets have potentially found their replacement for Austin Seferian-Jenkins. In the fourth round of the draft they have selected Chris Herndon, tight end out of the University of Miami.
Here are the stats:
| Receiving | Rushing | Scrimmage | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | School | Conf | Class | Pos | G | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Plays | Yds | Avg | TD |
| *2015 | Miami (FL) | ACC | SO | TE | 10 | 18 | 237 | 13.2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 237 | 13.2 | 1 | |
| *2016 | Miami (FL) | ACC | JR | TE | 13 | 28 | 334 | 11.9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 334 | 11.9 | 2 | |
| *2017 | Miami (FL) | ACC | SR | TE | 11 | 40 | 477 | 11.9 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 477 | 11.9 | 4 | |
| Career | Miami (FL) | 86 | 1048 | 12.2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 86 | 1048 | 12.2 | 7 |
He saw his production grow each season as a member of “The U”. At 6-4, 253 pounds he can make an impact in the red zone. Drafting a safety valve for the rookie quarterback is never a bad idea under any circumstances.
Simply put, this was a position of need. Yes, Quincy Enunwa plays a lot of this role in the “H-Back” slot, but they still need capable tight ends. Currently, they don’t have a roster that has more than eight receptions. They need a weapon and Herndon can be just that.
Now, he needs to become a better blocker. He’s not a great finisher and needs to improve technique in general when it comes to blocking. Without that, he would become a part-time player at best. Herndon would be a situational player if he doesn’t become a good blocker. However, as I mentioned before it makes sense to bring in a tight end. Security blankets are good when it comes to young quarterbacks.
This is the point in the draft where we don’t hear about many names. These are the guys that filling out position groups and those all important depth positions. They may not be the glory spots, but they are the ones that often make the difference.