FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Mike Maccagnan graduated from Trinity College expecting to become not a football scout but a financial analyst. He applied for positions on Wall Street but then chose to pursue a career working in the N.F.L., where he has still managed to put his degree in economics to good use.
Heading into his first draft as the Jets’ general manager, Maccagnan compared his approach — assessing risks, projecting returns — to that of a portfolio manager.
“Do you pick one stock that you think is going to get the big return,” Maccagnan said, “or do you pick three stocks which may not actually hit the same ceiling but the overall value of it actually gets a higher yield?