There’s little, if any, honeymoon for New York Jets draft picks. Nurturing behind veteran mentors has mostly been eschewed for ceremonial trials by green fire.
Some players thrive on instant participation. For example, D’Brickashaw Ferguson was public enemy number one upon his 2006 draft. The offensive lineman’s lone crime was that his name wasn’t Matt Leinart or Vince Young. He went on to become one of the most dependable blockers in NFL history. His 10-year Jets tenure ended with a single missed snap.
Ferguson’s success isn’t always the norm.