The Jets’ drafting miscues have long been documented.
The team has struck out numerous times in recent years and it’s why, entering the 2020 NFL Draft, New York had the fewest homegrown players in the NFL.
So it should come as no surprise that the Jets have been the worst team in the NFL when it comes to drafting over the past 10 years, according to a study done on drafting efficiency from 2010 to 2019 by Football Outsiders.
Other than two drafts (2010 and 2011), when the Jets had a combined 10 picks across two separate drafts, New York hasn’t exactly lacked draft capital. As the study shows, the Jets have the worst return on capital in the NFL, which lines up with the team’s struggles.
For the past five seasons (this study doesn’t count 2020), under both Mike Maccagnan and John Idzik’s scouting departments, the Jets remained at the bottom in the league in terms of return on draft capital. According to the study, they haven’t even approached an average return.
Next, the study looks at draft return vs. draft capital. This percentage is utilized by dividing each team’s draft return by its draft capital in each year. A score of 100 percent, which by the study’s standards is league-average, would indicate that teams are getting the talent back, depending on the sheer amount of draft capital they had.
Over the last decade, the Jets have only had two above-average drafts, coming in 2011 and 2016. Besides that, New York has averaged 74 percent over a 10-year period, which is the worst in the NFL. Three of the Jets’ drafts (2010, 2014 and 2015) are in the bottom 10 percent. With that, New York has the worst return on capital in the NFL and its roster certainly reflects that.
This study excludes this past April’s draft, but looking at New York’s current roster construction, just 14 of New York’s 72 draft picks since 2010 remain on the active roster — this is with Quincy Enunwa’s season-ending prematurely and his carer in doubt. Those players include Brian Winters, Jordan Jenkins, Jamal Adams, Marcus Maye, Sam Darnold, Chris Herndon, Nathan Shepherd, Folorunso Fatukasi, Trenton Cannon, Quinenn Williams, Chuma Edoga, Trevon Wesco, Blake Cashman and Blessaun Austin.
Unfortunately for Gang Green, this study by Football Oustiders isn’t exactly a revelation. The Jets’ drafting woes have played a huge part in why the team hasn’t played into late January since 2010, which was two head coaches and three general managers ago.
With New York whiffing on its picks, it tried to offset misses in the draft by throwing big money at free agents like Darrelle Revis, Trumaine Johnson, C.J. Mosely and Le’Veon Bell. That strategy has yet to be successful and it’s why the Jets have given the keys to the franchise to Joe Douglas. It goes against Douglas’ upbringing to make splashes like that in free agency,. Rather, he was taught to build through the draft. With Douglas’ first draft behind him, the Jets are hoping that he can right the wrongs of the past and start hitting on picks.
If not, New York will be stuck in the same holding pattern its been in for the past decade.