Jets general manager John Idzik stocked up on draft picks for this year by loading up on compensatory picks and snagging one in the Darrelle Revis trade. It was clear Idzik was banking on the 2014 draft to be a huge part of his roster rebuild.
So far, it does not look good.
Now, four games is not enough to evaluate a draft class. But consider four of those 12 picks are no longer on the roster after the team cut Jalen Saunders on Monday. Two of those picks are on injured reserve. One of those picks was not good enough to make the active roster and is stashed on the practice squad (where Saunders may also end up).
That leaves you with five of the 12 draft picks actually playing this season. Of those five, only safety Calvin Pryor is starting, and he has had little impact so far. Tight end Jace Amaro is playing about 30 percent of the offensive snaps. Linebacker Trevor Reilly is a special-teams contributor who gets a few defensive snaps a game. Lineman Dakota Dozier and linebacker IK Enemkpali have been inactive for every game.
So even the most generous grader would say Idzik is 3-for-12 on this draft right now. There is plenty of time for some of these picks to develop, but what was the point of having 12 picks if you were only going to land one or two impact players?
Idzik’s wide-receiver picks look particularly awful. Saunders did nothing in training camp and, after fumbling a punt against the Bears, was shown the door. Shaq Evans injured his shoulder in camp and was lost for the year. Quincy Enunwa is on the practice squad.
If this draft was supposed to form a foundation for Idzik, it already looks like it’s crumbling.