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New Jersey – With the draft just two days away, what better time for our latest edition of Dan’s Draft Notebook. Let’s go . . .
If the Jets don’t grab an edge pass rusher in the first round, a player who would make sense in the second or third round is UConn’s Trevardo Williams.
The Jamaican Sensation had 12.5 sacks as a junior and 11.5 as a senior. He’s UConn’s all-time leader in sacks.
Scouts love explosive athletes, and this guy fits into that category. He is a little over 6-1, 241 pounds, and runs under 4.6. He also had a 38.5 vertical at the combine to go along with lifting 225, 30 times. These are all good explosion numbers.
On top of all that, the high school track star is a heck of a kid who works hard and is very coachable. He spent the first nine years of his life in Jamaica, where the schools are very strict, so that created a good base, before arriving in the States.
Keep an eye on this name . . .
When talking about the quarterbacks in the draft, you hear the same names over and over – Geno Smith, Matt Barkley, E.J. Manuel, Tyler Wilson, Mike Glennon and Zac Dysert.
But another player to keep an eye on is Arizona’s Matt Scott. He’s moving up, from what I hear.
He had a terrific senior season under new coach Rich Rodriquez with 27 touchdown passes.
He’s a little over 6-2, 213 pounds and runs 4.6. He’s an outstanding athlete.
He would make an interesting mid-to-late round pick as a developmental quarterback . . .
A player I really like is Rutgers ILB Steve Beauharnais.
When I sat down with him at the combine during a media session, a few minutes into my chat with him, I’m thinking, “this guy has the ‘it’ factor.”
He was all business and very, very serious.
He’s very bright and instinctive and should come in, wherever he goes, pick-up a playbook fast, and contribute a great deal as a rookie. He’s wise beyond his years.
The New Jersey-native, the son of Haitian immigrants, looks like a good fit in the third round for the Jets . . .
John Idzik said something a few weeks ago that should make Jets fans very excited about the man in charge of the team’s football operation.
“We’re trying to pay attention to what we feel are the important tasks at hand and not get distracted by all the periphery or superfluous,” Idzik said.
That quote might not seem like a big deal, but it is.
The man is 100 percent focused on improving the Jets roster, not worried about anything else.
He’s not going to be distracted by meaningless crap, the kind of stuff that people in the past worried about.
Like last summer when some Jets officials reacted to the New York Post calling the team “clowns.”
Who cares? Ignore the nonsense.
Idzik is an extremely bright man with great focus. Things like sports talk radio aren’t on his radar.
I’m not saying he’s going to be a great GM. There is no way of knowing that yet.
But he knows what is important, and what isn’t important, and that quote illuminates that fact . . .
Don’t be shocked if the Jets and San Francisco 49ers do some business on draft day.
The 49ers want to move up from the 31st pick in the first round, and with the Jets sitting at nine and 13, they could be the ideal trade partner with one of those selections. The 49ers have 13 picks in this draft, so they have plenty of ammo to move up.
Reportedly, the 49ers are interested in Utah defensive lineman Star Lotulelei. So if he slips to nine or 13, it’s possible a deal could be made.
While Lotulelei was considered a top five prospect a few months ago, a heart scare at the combine will likely make him slip.
The Jets have made it known to other clubs they are willing to trade down.
So don’t be shocked if the 49ers and Jets consummate a deal if the stars line up right . . .
April 23, 2013
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