The New York Jets put together quite a successful draft class. They began the event by bolstering up their offensive line with a huge addition of Missouri offensive tackle Armand Membou. In the second round, the Jets added tight end Mason Taylor to replace Tyler Conklin and in the third round, they drafted cornerback Azareye'h Thomas.
These three picks were huge additions for New York.
ESPN's NFL Draft expert Mel Kiper recently put together draft grades for every team in the NFL. For the Jets, Kiper graded their draft class a "B," but he had some good reasons as to why.
"Those three picks (Membou, Taylor, Thomas) were the start of an 'A' draft class," Kiper wrote. "But the Day 3 picks didn't muster much. Receiver Arian Smith has speed, but his hands aren't consistent. I had him ranked as WR33. The likes of Jalen Royals, Elic Ayomanor, and Jaylin Lane were still available when Smith went No. 110. Edge rusher Tyler Baron is a decent fifth-rounder, but the Jets didn't really maximize those four picks in the fourth and fifth rounds."
Kiper's explanation that the Jets had a solid first three rounds, but fell off toward the end of the draft is a fair analysis.
New York seemed to reach on wide receiver Arian Smith in the fourth round, but his speed is a serious weapon. The team needed a pass catcher opposite of Garrett Wilson, so Smith fills a valuable hole on the team, but he wasn't the best option on the board.
All in all, the draft was successful for the Jets. Only time will tell how this draft class will grade out in reality.