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The New York Jets earned their first victory of 2017 at least four-plus months earlier than anyone expected. The Jets once again benefited from the unpredictable nature of the top of the NFL draft on Thursday night, when they selected LSU strong safety Jamal Adams with the sixth pick.
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It was the second time in three years a consensus top-five player fell to the Jets at No. 6. New York picked defensive end Leonard Williams, considered by many the best talent in the 2015 draft, with the first pick of the Mike Maccagnan era.
Maccagnan said Thursday he was more surprised by Adams remaining available than he was by Williams slipping to the sixth pick. Newsday reported that one Jets staffer told Adams during a pre-draft visit that they were wasting their time because there was no way he would last beyond the top five.
"Late in the process (in 2015), we started to get a feel (Williams) may slide to us," Maccagnan said. "This one, to me, in a lot of our projections, we never really had him getting to us."
But the Chicago Bears' stunning trade with the San Francisco 49ers -- the Bears traded four picks to the 49ers in order to move up one spot and select North Carolina quarterback Mitchell Trubisky -- set off the domino effect that left Adams there for the taking for the secondary-starved Jets.
"I definitely saw interest when I went on a visit," Adams said during a conference call Thursday night. "They were definitely saying that if I slip to six, there's no questions asked, they're coming to get me. And they kept their word. And they delivered."
Adams, known for his hard-hitting skills in coverage, should provide an immediate upgrade on Calvin Pryor, the incumbent strong safety who has underperformed and is entering the final guaranteed year of his rookie deal.
Adams also offers plenty of intangibles. He comes from a football family -- he is the son of George Adams, who was the New York Giants' first-round pick in 1985 -- and was viewed as one of LSU's leaders.
"He checks all the boxes for us," Jets coach Todd Bowles said. "We think we got a real good football player."
One who is happy to be headed to an area he and his family know very well.
"I'm a city guy," Adams said. "My mom's from Yonkers, New York. My sister's from Jersey. My pops played (for) the Giants. So I think I have the right people surrounding me to help me get through my new life in the Big Apple. So I'm excited."
