Travis Long And The NFL: New York Jets

Pac-12 linebacker draftee comparisons

Travis Long is not as athletic as many of the other linebackers in the draft, but like all the other greats that were less athletic, he makes up for it with relentless effort and solid technique. His injury has clearly dropped him on the overall board, but he still shows a 3rd/4th round grade on many team boards. If he goes lower than that he’ll be an absolute steal, and honestly he may be an afterthought on the first and second days.

Other players at his position look more athletic on tape and are going to be a more “sexy” pick to a team who didn’t get to evaluate Long in person. He’s a player that really could have used a Combine appearance to secure a spot in the early to mid 3rd round if healthy, but such is life sometimes. Somebody will understand what he brings to the table once NFL camps roll around, at the very least. For now he’ll just be hoping that he doesn’t slip past the 4th.

Dec 17, 2012; Nashville, TN, USA; New York Jets kicker Josh Brown (not pictured) helmet shows support for the Sandy Hook elementary school prior to the game against the Tennessee Titans at LP Field. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports

New York Jets:

Stacked Against the Pick:

The New York Jets are team that needs to upgrade a lot of positions due to depth and a lack of talent. The Jets have been pretty much been labeled by everyone as the laughing stock of the NFL, they’ll need to stop making unbelievably dumb moves to get away from that label.

This is a bit of an issue for the Jets, but Travis Long could slip into their lap and really help out their pass rush. The Jets need to make a lot of moves this off-season and as of right now it appears they’ve yet to make any big time moves compared to the other teams.

Perfect Storm:

Travis Long and Marquess Wilson both have very similar chances to be drafted by the New York Jets. Linebacker is a very important need for the Jets, and while they have to address this need.. Travis Long will be a steal in the later rounds if he slips due to his injury at the end of the season. This is an ideal situation for him, going to a franchise where he can start right away and can learn on the fly. The question will be whether teams will make a bold move early or will teams back away? Ideally, they would probably use Long in situational downs to provide a pass rush, which is something they really need. In order to succeed in this league, you will struggle without a pass rush.

Likelihood of Getting Drafted by New York:

A-