If the Jets Draft Ryan Nassib in the First Round, Radio City Music Hall Will Set a Record for Loudest, Most Thunderous Boos in NFL Draft History
By Jason McIntyre
"ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio reported on SportsCenter Wednesday that Jets OC Marty Mornhinweg is “very high” on Syracuse QB Ryan Nassib, and the Bills are worried the Jets will poach him."
No. One Thousand times no. One million hundred thousand times no.
One of the biggest debates popping up prior to this weak draft is the tape vs. production debate. College football observers who watched games every Saturday don’t love Nassib as a Top 10 pick. (This was discussed with Bruce Feldman on the podcast.) They know how bad his schedule was and how poor the conference was. But Nassib has some nice tools – powerful arm, good size (6-3, 230), pocket presence, all that – and some have even said he’s Ryan Tannehill-like, and Tannehill had a solid rookie season in Miami. But I haven’t seen anyone who closely follows the college game consider Nassib a Top 10 QB in this draft.
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That being said, the guys who break down tape seem to love Nassib. I mocked one of them when he claimed Nassib was the No. 1 rated player in the draft. The snowball that is Nassib has gained so much momentum, I actually heard Todd McShay say on Sportscenter that Nassib “beat Geno Smith three times” which, if that’s part of the argument … yikes.
At any rate, here’s what this Jets fan hopes is the story behind the Sal Pal nugget: New York is trying to bait the Bills into doing something laughable – picking Nassib 8th. But a counter to my theory: Why are the Jets doing this? Do they know Buffalo likes someone else a lot, and they’re trying to steer them away from this unknown player? Who could that unknown player be?
Tyler Eifert? Tavon Austin? I have no idea.
I sure as hell hope that Marty Mornhinweg, who I have high hopes for as offensive coordinator this year (no laughter, please), doesn’t have much say in that draft room. Chances are, if the Jets go 4-12 or 5-11, he’s going to be gone with Rex Ryan when new GM John Idzik builds his own staff.
I’d be cool with any of these picks by the jets: Austin, Eifert, Mingo, Milliner, Cooper and Warmack. I do hope that Idzik dangles that 9 or 13 pick to a team with many picks – Baltimore? San Francisco? – because the Jets have holes. Everywhere.