Four Hall of Famers and a current New York Jets coach have previously appeared in the third-round pick they gained from Seattle.
The only NFL draft tradition more enduring than current mocks is revisiting the selections of the past.
Jet X looks back on the ten spots where the New York Jets are slated to select the coming draft and highlights the best players chosen in each role.
After a free agency frenzy, our countdown continues a look back at the names selected with the 86th overall pick, this one acquired from Seattle in last offseason’s Jamal Adams deal. (The team’s 87th pick is technically the No. 86 with the New England Patriots’ third-round forfeiture.)
Bill Belichick dives into Joe Schmidt’s highlights!
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1953: LB Joe Schmidt, Detroit
A decade of dominance (1954-63) saw Joe Schmidt reach every Pro Bowl and All-Pro team in that span. He played a crucial part in the Lions’ most recent NFL title, earning two interceptions in the blowout win over Cleveland in the championship game, the latter of two titles.
A 1973 Canton inductee, Schmidt’s number 56 is also retired by the Lions and he was named to the NFL’s 100th Anniversary team unveiled in 2019. Schmidt would later serve as the Lions’ head coach, winning 43 games (including 10 in 1970, their first double-figure victory tally in the Super Bowl era.
1976: OT Jackie Slater, LA Rams
Personally recruited by Walter Payton to play at Jackson State, Jackie Slater became a third-round pick of the Rams. He became one of the most reliable linemen in league history, partaking in 259 games, a Rams record. Slater was a part of the Rams’ NFC champion offense, holding the mighty Pittsburgh Steelers in check as best as he could in a narrow Super Bowl 14 loss.
He’d later help Eric Dickerson become the most prolific single-season rusher in NFL history during the 1984 campaign. A seven-time Pro Bowl invitee and 2001 Hall of Fame inductee, Slater has the unique distinction of being the only player in NFL history to play with one franchise in three different cities (Los Angeles/Anaheim/St. Louis).
1982: K Morten Andersen, New Orleans
Recently dethroned as the all-time leading scorer in NFL history, Morten Andersen went from Copenhagen to Michigan State to The Big Easy, the first stop of a 26-year NFL career that ended in Canton.
Andersen’s most famous boot came as a member of the Atlanta Falcons, converting an overtime triple in the 1998-99 NFC title game to send the Dirty Birds to their first Super Bowl.
1985: WR Andre Reed, Buffalo
Andre Reed went from a small school to a huge part of the Bills’ AFC dynasty … and NFL history as a whole. The Kutztown alum retired as the second-leading catch in league history (951).
Despite Buffalo’s losses, his name also tops many receiving records in the game’s record book, ranking third in receptions (27) and fifth in yardage (323). Reed’s Hall call came in 2014, residing alongside Western New York teammates Jim Kelly and Thurman Thomas.
1989: CB Ray Crockett, Detroit
After making a name for himself with the Lions (earning All-Pro honors during Detroit’s 1991 run to the NFC title game), Ray Crockett played a big part the Denver Broncos’ long-awaited championship hoists.
He came up especially big during the 1997-98 conference title game against Pittsburgh, earning a sack and an interception that helped Denver take the lead for good in a 24-21 triumph.
1996: LB Tedy Bruschi, New England
Another dynasty staple arrived over a decade after Reed when the Patriots chose Tedy Bruschi out of Arizona. He immediately made an impact in his rookie season and even wound up recording two sacks in the Super Bowl trip that ended it.
Bruschi became one of the more inspiring stories in recent NFL history when he returned from sitting out the 2005 season due to a heart defect, earning the Comeback Player of the Year award in the ensuing season.
Bruschi, a three-time Super Bowl champion, went on to become an ESPN football analyst but recently took on a new role as an advisor on his alma mater’s football staff under new head coach Jedd Fisch.
2000: LB Jeff Ulbrich, San Francisco
The Jets’ current defensive coordinator was a third-round choice out of Hawaii. Jeff Ulbrich spent the entire decade in the Bay Area, earning 501 tackles before a concussion ended his playing days.
His coaching career began in Seattle less than a year after he was forced to walk away.
2007: G Marshal Yanda, Baltimore
We’ve seen plenty of Hall of Famers chosen in this spot, and Marshal Yanda may become another in due time. The Iowa alum and March 2020 retiree reached eight Pro Bowls, a streak that stopped in the middle at six due to an ankle injury in 2017.
Yanda was also unanimously chosen to the NFL’s All-2010s team chosen by both the league and the Hall of Fame. Yanda was also part of the Ravens’ championship squad in 2013.
2015: RB David Johnson, Arizona
Injuries have unfortunately caused David Johnson to become synonymous with the wrong end of the more lopsided trades in recent NFL history, the DeAndre Hopkins deal involving his current employers in Houston. It has caused many to forget that Johnson burst onto the NFL scene with a vengeance, earning a jaw-dropping 32 touchdowns over his first two seasons.
Johnson began to somewhat resemble his old dominant form last season, earning a career-best 4.7 average carry to go with 691 rushing yards and eight total scores with the Texans.
2017: RB Kareem Hunt, Kansas City
The Chiefs’ offensive revolution began before Patrick Mahomes, as Kareem Hunt burst onto the scene with a league-best 1,327 rushing yards immediately after he was chosen out of Kent State.
Hunt was unable to partake in the Chiefs’ championship endeavors, however, as a domestic violence incident led to his release the following season. He has since returned to the NFL as a Cleveland Brown, sharing rushing duties with Nick Chubb.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
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