Michael Nania identifies the dreariest stats behind Mike Maccagnan’s draft track record that Joe Douglas must strive to stay far away from.
Lack of investment into premium positions
Mike Maccagnan drafted only three offensive linemen over his tenure – Jarvis Harrison (R5 #152, 2015), Brandon Shell (R5 #158, 2016), and Chuma Edoga (R3 #92, 2019). That tied the Jets with the Chiefs and Steelers for the fewest in the league from 2015-19. Kansas City and Pittsburgh have an excuse, as their lines were stacked with high-quality veterans over the majority of that period. The same cannot be said for the Jets.
The Jets’ ignorance of the offensive line was an issue even before Maccagnan’s arrival. They have gone 13 straight drafts without selecting an offensive lineman in the first round, last doing it in 2006 when they scooped up Nick Mangold and D’Brickashaw Ferguson. That is downright criminal considering how long their offensive has been below-average. They have not even picked one in the second round since Vlad Ducasse in 2010, who was selected in the back half of that round at 61st overall. Every other franchise has taken at least two offensive linemen in the top-60 since 2007.
EDGE is another position that Maccagnan was all too oblivious of. Sure, he took Lorenzo Mauldin and Jordan Jenkins in back-to-back third rounds (2015 and 2016), but that is not nearly enough allocation to such a crucial position, especially when you consider that nothing was done in free agency or through trade either. The only EDGE selected by Maccagnan from 2017-19 was Dylan Donahue in the fifth round (181st overall) of the 2017 Draft, even though the Jets ranked 29th in the league with 94 sacks from 2016-18.
Maccagnan went through five drafts without selecting an offensive lineman or edge rusher in one of the first two rounds. The Jets were the only team in the league that did not select a single player at either position in rounds one or two over that span, even as they continuously suffered from bottom-tier production at both spots.
Poor evaluation at wide receiver
Maccagnan took some swings at wide receiver, but the lack of production amassed by his picks at that position is staggering.
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Outstanding analysis. Mac got us Sam and the President. JD will do much better
Every time I think my opinion of Mac can’t get any lower, there’s an article like this just highlighting even more of his ineptitude.
I understand that Mac was desperate, but he got the Jets into some very bad contracts, still feeling the effects