NFL Draft: A Sensible Preparation by Jets and Giants

Thursday night marks the start of the NFL Draft’s first round. Both the Jets and Giants have significant decisions. The Jets presently own the fourth overall pick, as well as the tenth overall pick obtained in exchange for All-Pro safety Jamal Adams from the Seattle Seahawks.

Additionally, Gang Green owns the 35th and 38th overall picks. They acquired it from the Carolina Panthers during a trade involving quarterback Sam Darnold. Meanwhile, the Giants will choose fifth in the league finishing a 4–13 season. The Giants will begin the season under the leadership of a new head coach (Brian Daboll) and general manager (Joe Schoen). Both of them will try to turn the team around.

Sports Illustrated / The Jets will rely on head coach Robert Saleh next season.

Although the performance from their last season was poor. The Jets own the fourth and tenth overall picks, while the G-Men own the fifth and seventh. If the clubs do not exchange selections, the Jets may pursue Michigan edge rusher, Aidan Hutchinson — though he may be unavailable by the time New York is on the clock.

A more plausible option is North Carolina State’s Ikem Ekwonu. The guy stands at 6’4″ and brings NFL-style pass-rushing possibilities to the NFL. Meanwhile, the Giants, who had the seventh overall pick and traded it to the Chicago Bears for the tenth overall pick, have multiple roster openings to address.

Giants / Daniel Jones enters his fourth season in the NFL seeking a long-term deal.

Brian Daboll has been named head coach, while Schoen has been named general manager. The new administration may be cautious to sign him — particularly given his recent injury history.

The new front office administration may utilize the year to assess the talent on their roster, including Jones, in order to determine if they have established a winning lineup. Jones has struggled with injuries in the past, having started just 37 of 48 potential games throughout his brief career.

A Brief History of NFL

Sports Illustrated / The NFL boasts the world’s largest average attendance (67,591) of any professional sports league and is the most popular league in the United States.

The NFL was founded in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association (APFA) before changing its name for the 1922 season to the National Football League. After establishing champions initially through end-of-season standings, the NFL adopted a playoff system in 1933 that concluded in the NFL Championship Game until 1966.

The Super Bowl was originally conducted in 1967, following the NFL’s merger with the rival American Football League (AFL), to choose a champion amongst the league’s top teams. It has remained the last game of each NFL season since the union was finalized in 1970.

The Super Bowl is also one of the world’s largest club athletic events, with various games accounting for several of the most-watched television programs in American history and all occupying Nielsen’s Top 5 list of all-time most-watched US television broadcasts by 2015. The NFL is the richest professional sports league in terms of revenue and has the most valued franchises.