Should the Jets not trade their first-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, whoever they select will become just the second player in franchise history to be taken 11th overall.
The last and only other time the Jets had the 11th overall pick was in 1964 when they were still a member of the American Football League. New York drafted Nebraska defensive end Lloyd Voss with the 11th overall pick. Because there were only eight teams in the AFL at that point, Lloyd ended up being the third pick of the second round. New York’s first-round pick, running back Matt Snell, went third overall.
Voss never played for the Jets, though, because he was also drafted by the Green Bay Packers three days later with the 13th overall pick in the NFL draft. He signed there instead. At that point, the two leagues coexisted and conducted separate drafts until they agreed on a merger in 1966 that instituted a common draft with both leagues in 1967. The AFL and NFL completely merged in 1970.
Voss played nine years in the NFL – two for the Packers, six for the Steelers and one for the Broncos – and only missed three games throughout his entire career. He earned a championship ring with the Packers in 1965 and played alongside Joe Greene with the Steelers from 1969-1971. He also played in the defunct World Football League for two seasons before retiring from professional football in 1974. Voss died from liver and kidney failure complications in 2007 at the age of 65.
“He was one of those very dependable guys who did it just the way it was supposed to be done,” former teammate Andy Russell told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for Voss’ obituary. “We lost a lot of close games in the 60s and when we had meetings to talk about what was wrong, Lloyd was one of the guys who stood up and was one of the leaders in the locker room.”
The year after the Jets drafted and failed to sign Lloyd, they drafted the player who delivered them their first and only championship: Joe Namath.
Now, the Jets have the 11th pick once again, and Joe Douglas has a tough decision to make as he considers whether to use the selection on a tackle or receiver. Barring some unforeseen situation, though, the Jets’ 2020 11th overall pick will play for New York this upcoming season, leaving Voss in his own exclusive club.