We have maybe a two year window. Teams with a two year window don’t take a player that won’t touch the field until year 2. If Bowers is there he’s the no brainer pick. Then again most teams with a two year window are usually picking in the 20s, not 10th overall, but that’s classic Jets luck.
As I already said upthread Bowers is a GENERATIONAL talent. He's that highly rated as a prospect and his tape backs it all up. This is exactly the type of impact player the Jets need on the offensive side of the ball and he'll be here to build with whomever the Jets QB of the future is after Rodgers is done. No brainer pick if he's still there.
Meh.. I think Bowers Is overrated so far. I've watched several games now and I don't get this crazy hype he Is getting right now. I'm not so sure It's a no brainer at #10. Maybe I'm missing something here but I don't get It.
Who won't "touch the field until year 2"? If you're saying a stud OT won't, I think you're seriously over optimistic about this current version "OL Dreams" lasting for the whole season. More likely it will fail early just as it has for the past 15 years. Of course it's possible that all of these OTs coming out are overhyped like QBs usually are, and none will succeed (or at least the one the Jets pick), but just like with QBs you have to keep swinging - within reason - until you hit. The Jets TE room is pretty solid, if not spectacular, and the WR room has been seriously improved with M. Williams, and if Rodgers stays healthy he can make both look even that much better. But if he goes down again due to lousy protection, an All World TE isn't going to make much difference.
Ok, so then best case scenario the guy we take at 10 hits the field only if there’s an injury when we have a two year window max. Still not a smart plan when you need to win now. And for the record I’m not saying looking towards the future is the wrong move, I’m saying it doesn’t line up with winning now which is the mindset of the coach and GM. Edit: Bowers is also one hell of a future move as well. Not sure why we’re pretending he can’t be a massive piece of an NFL offense for the next decade just because he plays a position you don’t value.
Some of you just don't get it. The new NFL is a pass happy, spread the field dominated league. It's only getting moreso every year. The Jets need AS MANY offensive skill weapons as they can get. Just look at the Dolphins now. They have threats all over the field and are a nightmare for any defense to cover. We are getting close to that. Add Bowers and the Jets are going to have serious weapons and can create lots of mismatches against opposing defenses. This is a HUGE opportunity for the Jets to put an explosive offense on the field (dare I utter those words). Bowers is an elite talent. He is a potential HOF'er. He's like a TE/WR all in one. He's the future of the league. They must grab him at 10 if he's there. You can't pass up prospects like him. Don't forget, one of Rodgers strengths is his quick release so if this OL can hold up then he can just dump passes to Bowers and he's got great YAC ability. NO BRAINER.
Its like the last 5 years never happened. We go into the offseason and see shiny things, and slowly drift away from the fact that our o-lines hamstring the entire offense. The entire offense, including the passing game, starts up front. When it crumbles so does the offense. It doesn't matter how good our TE is if we're constantly getting blown up, and worse, if the crap messiah goes down. Every team suffers injuries up front, and every team that goes far relies on their depth at o-line to cross the finish line. There will be top teams that miss the playoffs, or limp into a 1 and done game, ala the 2023 Dolphins, because of weakened o-line. For this years Jets, o-line depth is as important as any position on the field. Probably the most important. If Tippmann and Simpson don't pan out, we will be looking at the nightmare of a full o-line rebuild next offseason. Our only decent starter would be AVT on an expensive 5th year deal. So we'll have one 17 million dollar guard going into a season we've already handicapped our cap. Do you think Breece or Garrett will want to resign after that? Will we be able to afford them and still build a decent o-line? Both for this season, and looking towards the future, a solid tackle is a no brainer. Even if we don't take a tackle, the last thing we can afford to do is gamble on a top 10 TE. History has shown they are a huge gamble. Nearly every great TE is found in rounds 2-4, and its on the GM to recognize them and not need top 10 training wheels. If Bowers turns out like most top 10 TEs, just kiss the future goodbye. At the very least grab one of the stud wideouts that have a much better chance to pan out, and are much cheaper than WR FAs.
I just can't understand how posters can't see that. It's like they've totally forgotten the last 15 years of bad OL play. I truly think they're thinking with their little head and their heart rather than their big head. That's not meant as an insult. After all, I get it. Drafting a stud WR prospect or a potential perennial All-Pro TE is MUCH more exciting and fun than a LT or RT. I would love nothing better if the OL was already fixed and JD could go crazy drafting weapons. If the OL was fixed, he could possibly trade down 2 spots and acquire a 2nd round pick from a team wanting McCarthy, still take Bowers, in the 2nd take Leggette, and in the 3rd possibly take Brenden Rice then in the 4th take a RB and either another WR or a TE, but unfortunately, that can't and shouldn't happen. If it were possible, I'd want him to get two OTs out of this draft, but I think that's impossible, so he needs to get an OT who can possibly play LT this season (or if Moses can move to LT when Smith goes down, step in and start at RT) and a great WR prospect. Unless he can trade down, I fear it will be a great WR prospect or a great OT prospect, but not both. One or other position will be 2nd or 3rd tier.
This board is so torn on the 10 pick, Bowers has his following as does OL and WR. Hard to be upset with any of the 3, FA is still young so we can find depth for the OL still, WR too. The only reason I lean against Bowers is when I think of positions to target in FA I think OL, WR not TE so it seems logical to go that way in the draft. Wouldnt hate a trade down and get Bowers in the late teens but he probably wont be there..
Spot on!! It's the crazy phenomenon of sports. I swear we could have a top 3 pick in this draft, have a great OL, and have Tyrod Taylor as our starting QB, and some posters would want to draft an OT, TE or Edge rather than a QB. I see the same kind of phenomenon with Yankee fans. It's human nature. We're often dissatisfied with what we have and we want what we don't have and can't get or we may need a new HVAC system for our house, but we'll see a shiny new car that we've dreamed of owning, and we'll go out and buy the car and suffer in the cold and heat with our faulty HVAC system. It's like we're all going nuts.
After seeing what Kelce, Kittle, LaPorta and some other TEs have done recently, I can understand the excitement with Bowers. He carried UGA in some games. He has a ton of potential. The thing is will Hackett create plays to utilize Bowers talents and to keep opposing DCs up nights? I seriously doubt it, and Rodgers can't call a play that isn't in the playbook. If we don't have a competent and healthy LT to step in and start when Smith goes down, and Rodgers gets injured, it won't matter what Bowers can do going forward, as he won't be able to do much without a quality QB, and we can't keep a quality QB until we have two quality starters at the OT positions. Maybe one of these days, the Jets will be in a position where they can simply take the BPA and position won't matter, but we're not even close to that yet. We're closer than we were a few years ago, but still have a ways to go. Maybe one of these days we'll also have a GM who understands that sometimes need has to trump BPA or value, and that he needs to make a move or two in the draft to fill those needs that weren't able to be adquately addressed in FA.
We’re talking about things learned over the last 15 years as if we’ve been in the “two year window” position at any point in the last 15 years.
You can take an average OT out of need, which is likely what you'll end up with after the first two are off the board, or you can draft a rare offensive talent with elite upside that could help draw something other than the next loser HC replacement.
Good point, but one can win with an "average" OT, but it doesn't matter how great one's weapons are if the QB doesn't have time to find them or can't stay upright or healthy long enough to get the ball to those weapons. It all starts with the OL. There are also OTs outside the top two that can be above average. Besides, I'm not going to worry about the next HC as the current one is still here. As long as Woody is hiring the new GM and HC, it really doesn't matter anyway. We have a chance to win this year, and continue to win if we get our OL fixed.
Take a look at this. Soon Blewett will release a lot more film of Bowers, but he has provided bunch of plays where Bowers looks very much human. And usually Blewett is not looking for lowlights. The point is that Bowers is not this perfect generational prospect. There are some holes in his game like ball tracking, poor blocking of DEs, he is a bit small for the position, route running and contested catches are not great. He never ran 40 at combine for us to see his speed. I think we can be reasonably sure he is a great YAC guy, but we are talking about taking a TE 10th overall. He would have to be a perfect prospect to do that, and he is not. To me, this seems like a major reach especially given that we actually have bigger needs at more premium positions like OT and WR.
I’ll check out your link a little later but I agree with the assessment overall. He’s not a generational prospect, he’s just not. My main issue Is the route running and blocking. I watched him get pushed around a lot against Tennessee, I just can’t figure out what everyone else Is seeing. I think he will be good IF he goes to the right team that can properly use his skill set. I definitely don’t believe that’s us. Then you factor In value. It’s just not good value at #10, especially when he’s clearly got flaws to his game. I am still watching his games but right now. IMHO It would be very Jets like to draft Bowers at #10. If we aren’t getting one of the top 3 WR or a premium OT. They should trade back. Obviously just my opinion but I feel pretty strongly about It right now.
Douglas needs to just stick to the basics and not get cute with this. Aside from the QB, it was the O-line that tanked last season. Every last possible resource needs to be put into fixing that. Don't get cute, just draft the best OL available at #10 and call it a day.
"It would be very Jets like to draft Bowers at #10." This is the only part I disagree with, it seems like every time there is an offensive weapon/anomaly that I become infatuated with leading up to the draft (started with Reggie Bush) they end up passing on them. Not necessarily a bad thing and they are certainly apt to making horrendous decisions but atleast in the past they haven't drafted the new hottness offensive weapon.
O-line to protect old man Rodgers and make holes for our running game. we need to score points to win. If rodgers is dead or breece only gets 2 yds per carry we are fucked.
Blewett went from being "lukewarm" on Bowers and Fashanu to saying he'd be okay with Bowers just 3 days ago. He also moved Fashanu up his board to #3 tackle. Opinions change between January and draft day. Connor Rogers, who's draft insights I respect, has Bowers as a top 5 player in the draft.
