There will be draft grades handed out this weekend after players have been on teams for a few hours.
These are silly, of course.
All you have to do is look at them from prior years and see how wrong those initial opinions can be.
Coaches and general managers will tell you that you need to see what a player does over his first three years to really evaluate them.
That is why we are taking a look back at the 2021 Jets draft class to see how Joe Douglas did in his second draft.
The results are not pretty.
The Jets entered that draft with two first-round picks thanks to the Jamal Adams trade with the Seahawks.
They had the No. 2 overall pick after going 2-14 in 2020.
It was the first draft when Robert Saleh was the Jets coach and the roster needed a lot of help.
Most of the attention was on the No. 2 pick, where the Jets were expected to take quarterback Zach Wilson out of BYU and did.
Douglas ended up drafting 10 players in 2021.
Only four of them remain on the roster.
Here’s a pick-by-pick look back at how the 2021 class has played so far:
Zach Wilson, QB, BYU (Round 1)
The Jets book closed on Wilson this week when they traded him to the Broncos along with a seventh-round pick in exchange for a sixth-round pick.
This pick might be the worst in franchise history. It is at least in the conversation.
Wilson was the starter for most of his three years here and had very few memorable games.
He threw 23 touchdowns and 25 interceptions.
In addition, he was not popular in the locker room and had a high-profile mistake in 2022 when he did not show accountability after a loss in New England, which basically ended his time as the starter.
In addition, he was not popular in the locker room and had a high-profile mistake in 2022 when he did not show accountability after a loss in New England, which basically ended his time as the starter.
Alijah Vera-Tucker, OL, USC (Round 1)
Vera-Tucker has showed tremendous ability when he’s been healthy, but he has suffered season-ending injuries in each of the last two seasons.
Vera-Tucker’s biggest attribute has been his versatility.
He has started games at both tackle and guard spots in his three seasons.
The Jets are expected to pick up his fifth-year option and Vera-Tucker is slated to stay at right guard this season.
Elijah Moore, WR, Mississippi (Round 2)
Moore showed a lot of potential as a rookie (43 catches, 538 yards, 5 TDs) but then fell out of favor with the coaches in 2022.
Moore clashed with then-offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur and demanded a trade.
The Jets held onto him for that season and he scored only one touchdown.
Moore was traded last March to the Browns.
He had only two touchdowns in Cleveland but did set career highs in catches (59) and yards (640).
Michael Carter, RB, North Carolina (Round 4)
Another player who looked like a good pick as a rookie (147 rushes, 649 yards, 4 TDs) but then fizzled.
The Jets drafted Breece Hall in 2022 and he became the main back.
When Hall was lost to injury, the Jets traded for James Robinson rather than giving Carter the bulk of the carries. It showed a lack of belief in him.
That continued last year with the Dalvin Cook signing.
Finally, the Jets released Carter in November and the Cardinals picked him up.
Jamien Sherwood, LB, Auburn (Round 5)
Sherwood has primarily been a special teams player with the Jets. He has seen minimal time at linebacker.
Michael Carter II, CB, Duke (Round 5)
Carter might be the best pick in this draft when you factor in Vera-Tucker’s injury issues.
Carter has become a very steady nickel corner and has made a number of big plays for the Jets.
Jason Pinnock, S, Pittsburgh (Round 5)
Pinnock did not get a chance with the Jets but has become a starter for the Giants after the team released him before the 2022 season.
Pinnock had two interceptions, returning one for a touchdown, last season for Big Blue.
Hamsah Nasirildeen, LB, Florida State (Round 6)
Nasirildeen did very little in his first two seasons and was cut before last season.
He is out of the league.
Brandin Echols, CB, Kentucky (Round 6)
Echols started as a rookie and intercepted Tom Brady but has been relegated to backup duty the last two years. Echols is a solid special teams player and backup cornerback.
Jonathan Marshall, DT, Arkansas (Round 6)
Marshall only played four games as a rookie and was cut before his second season.
He is currently on the Steelers, but has not played in a game since 2021.
