Rex Ryan Hints Jets May Draft 'Best Player' Over Need
NEW YORK (WFAN) -- Coming off a disappointing 8-8 season, the Jets certainly have plenty of needs to address, starting with pick No. 16 in the upcoming NFL draft.
But coach Rex Ryan hinted Wednesday that it might not come down to filling a hole. The team may instead pick the top talent on the board, no matter how stacked New York may seem at the position.
"If you just try to reach for a need, sometimes that's not the best thing to do," Ryan said at BTIG's Commissions for Charity Day in Manhattan. "Take the best player, that usually works out for you."
Ryan pointed to running back Shonn Greene as an example. The Jets traded up in the third round of the 2009 draft to nab the Iowa product, who had 1,054 rushing yards in a starting role for New York last season.
"When we traded up to get Shonn Greene, we already had three running backs," said Ryan. "But Shonn Greene was a great player. That was a great move for us."
Ryan touched on the AFC East rival Patriots, who he called "clearly the team to beat." Ryan was also predictably asked about backup quarterback Tim Tebow.
"The thing about Tim is he's such a great athlete," Ryan said.
The coach reiterated "everyone knows" he'll deploy Tebow in the Wildcat, a system familiar to his new offensive coordinator.
"The guy that really brought the Wildcat to the National Football League, Tony Sparano, is now our offensive coordinator," Ryan said. "I'm just excited to see what Tony is going to do with the players we have."
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