With the 162nd Pick …
The Jets select Erik Ainge Quarterback from Tennessee.
… please hold your comments on him needing to start for the Jets until tomrrow …
Although he’s 6″6″ 220 pounds, don’t mistake him for Joe Flacco. Anecdotally, Ainge is a game manager and his accuracy improved dramatically in 2007. Ainge saw substantial playing time over his time at UT, and Tennessee fans had doubts about his abilities in close games.
Here’s Aigne’s report from Rookiepedia.
Nephew of former Boston Celtics player and NBA all star Danny Ainge … Works the short game well … Great size … Vastly improved his footwork and technique in 2006 … Bothered by ankle problems in 2006 … Good decision making under pressure … Throws with touch … Accurate … Has pretty good quickness, but stays in the pocket, as his longest run of the year in 2006 was three yards at one point.
Bent is glad for SackDance99 as he’s a tall QB …
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The project qb……wouldve liked dixon more but i’ll take it….good pick, good draft so far
The only reason i disagree with the pick is due to carl nicks the ot went right after him and i would have really liked to have gotten him. some mocks had him graded out on a second round talent and you can never get enough o lineman
I like the pick. We need another guy to compete against KC and picking a veteran is not an option if we’re keeping Chad around.
Love the pick !!!
I’m happy. The Jets needed a third string QB anyway, regardless of him being a rookie or a veteran that’s been through the ringer too many times. A QB this late in the draft is normally a project and may sit for a few years to learn. It also gives us a chance to see what we have or don’t have with KC or CP. This was a good move and besides both Mel and Ron likes him.
I now see us going WR next with Adrian Arrington. Then either CB again or O-Line.
so. I kno I’m crazy but I think he is going to b a good starting qb for us ive watched him play before and is just as good as brohm
What the deal with the error message: This Account Has Exceeded Its CPU Quota
Marcus Henry anyone know bout this guy?
From CNNSI.com
Marcus Henry SI Grade3.18
BIOGRAPHY: Two-year starter who also saw extensive action with the first team as a sophomore. All-Conference selection last season after posting career-high numbers of 54/1014/10 and averaging 18 yards/reception. Junior-year totals included 25/316/3.
POSITIVES: Nice-sized possession receiver with limited speed. Sells routes, works to get separation, and extends his hands to offer the quarterback a target. Adjusts to the errant throw, looks the pass in, and makes the reception in stride with no problem. Uses his frame to shield away defenders and gets vertical to pull the ball down in a crowd. Gives effort blocking downfield.
NEGATIVES: Loses concentration and drops some catchable throws. Displays minimal quickness and does not play to his 40 time.
ANALYSIS: Henry has been a reliable pass-catcher at Kansas the past three seasons. He’s a hard-working prospect with potential as a fifth receiver used on third down or in the red zone.
PROJECTION: Undrafted Free Agent
Marcus Henry is Fast …
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLure-TQgZ0
Not really a fan of Ainge. Don’t think he will ever be more than a 3rd stringer in the NFL.
Marcus Henry was an ok pick. A tall possession WR that is all. No more than a 4th or 5th WR on the depth chart. Woudln’t be surprised if he can’t cut past the practice squad.
Hes tall. yay
I keep getting that message aslo.
More on Marcus Henry
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phHoLWzodt4
@RayD
Everyone is saying that he’s slow. I like the pick, but they say his down sides are that he can’t outrun corners and he has a tough time creating separation.
Yep … slow. but grabs TD and is tall which is needed especially in a jump ball senario. I still wished we picked Mike Hart RB from Michigan.
I like the Ainge pick – terrific size, gets rid of the ball quickly, and he really improved his mechanics his last two seasons. He should fit better than Dixon or Woodson would have in Schott’s offense. I thought he could be a 3rd-rounder, so the value is certainly there.
Here from FF: “Henry has excellent size. He is tall, built well, and knows how to use it. He is not afraid to go over the middle and take a hit to catch the football. Henry is at his best is one on one situations, because his athleticism shines through. He has excellent body control, and can easily adjust to the ball in the air. With his size and body control, he is a difficult match up in the red zone.
Henry’s speed is only average, and he may not be able to get separation from defensive backs. He is good once he gets going, but he is slow starting out. He will need to improve his route running as well, because he does not come in and out of his breaks very sharply.
Henry has the talent to be a possession receiver, but he may lack the quickness to become much more than that. He will need work to refine some things about his game but he has the natural size and athleticism to make it in the NFL. “
Thanks for the footage on Henry. Looks like a decent choice. I like the size and Hands
ainge was a waste when nicks and schmitt were right there. (another weak-armed QB.) unless they want to move chad and think he can be a decent number two soon.
a bit of a dissapointing draft. at some point, they will have to draft 3-4 DL, which they haven’t done in 3 drafts. should have traded down for kendall langford instead of taking a TE who can’t block
A much better pick at this position would have been ILB Goff from vanderbilt. I AM really begining to worry about the JETS picks.
Thanks RayD
One pick left …. Seems like the FO filled many of our needs.
What do you do with the last pick ? I say we go Defense!!
Inside LB or DL? It’s been a great 2 days. I must admit … I’m pretty excited
You go value with the last pick.
start him now ! now !
…..only kidding…
ok now that we are relaxed, let’s give KC a chance. he has got now the tools and protection. it’s up to him
from NflDraftScout:
Erik Ainge showed tremendous promise during his freshman season with the Volunteers, but injuries caused him to miss eight games, as he never completed a full schedule in any of his first three years with the team.
Analysis
Positives: Needs to add muscle tone, but has a frame that can carry at least another 10 pounds of bulk, good arm length and good-sized hands…Classic pocket passer who is very good at dealing with the mental side of the game, as he does a good job of scanning the field and attacking the soft spots, when he does not try to get too creative (will force throws because of confidence in his arm strength, but due to low trajectory, a good portion of his passes have been intercepted)…Smart, instinctive athlete with a good grasp of the playbook…Puts in the extra hours studying game film and is a respected team leader…Good program player with an easy-going personality…Lacks speed to escape pocket pressure, but is adequate driving back from center to his throwing point…Has a quick over-the-top release that helps him compensate for poor foot speed…Has marginal timed speed, but shows decent quickness driving away from center…Has adequate base and balance, but shows decent arm whip to get the ball out quickly…Puts good velocity on his deep throws and knows how to vary speed on those tosses to squeeze passes through tight spaces…Better when he stands in the pocket than when throwing from the outside hashes, as he does a nice job of scanning the field and making progression reads…Can hit his targets without the receiver having to make adjustments when throwing into the short area, but needs to do it with more consistency (more of a rhythm passer)…Has some hip rotation to put zip on his short throws, showing good touch in this area, especially on swing passes and screens…Utilizes all of his targets and is patient waiting for the play to develop, doing a nice job of looking off his primary target and locating his secondary receivers…Not really a vocal leader, but he has earned respect and is a good communicator who has control of the huddle…With his height, he is efficient looking over the line and making quick pre-snap decisions…Doesn’t show consistency on the fade and deep routes, but does have the arm strength to air it out (needs to refine his foot mechanics)…Times his short-to-intermediate passes well, generally hitting receivers coming out of their breaks…Uses his over-the-top release to get the ball out quickly when the pocket is collapsing…Carries the ball chest-high and, when he plants to throw, he can unload the deep pass…In 2007, he showed much better timing on his throws, as he has seemed to have learned the concept of making good progression reads…Has decent touch on his vertical throws, but when he throws off the wrong foot, the ball will float.
Negatives: Has a tall, slender frame, built more in the lines of a basketball forward than a football player…Has marginal muscle tone and definition with slender shoulders, but has a frame that can carry additional bulk…Displays marginal quickness on the move and loses accuracy when forced to throw when flushed out of the pocket…Does not have the speed to be a valid threat carrying the ball…Not the type of athlete that can play through pain and there are questions about his physical and mental toughness…Has good arm strength, but it is not always evident in his long throws, as he puts a lot of air behind those tosses and fails to place it along the outside shoulder of his target…Has an adequate feel for pressure and looks sluggish when sliding to avoid it…Lacks the loose hips to avoid the pass rush and does a poor job of setting his feet before throwing when flushed…Can put air behind his deep throws, but needs to step into those attempts better (will throw off his back foot at times), as he throws a lot of passes that are easily deflected due to low trajectory (had 51 throws deflected in 2007)…Has had a series of minor lingering injuries, raising durability concerns…When he stands in the pocket too long, it is because he fails to sense backside pressure…Must do a better job selling pump fakes; defensive backs don’t usually bite…Needs to learn how to step up and out of the pocket, as his accuracy suffers on the move…Improved his foot mechanics as a senior, but when he fails to set his feet, he struggles with the follow through on his pass attempts…Will get into a rhythm where he misfires, but rather than hand the ball off, he will continue to fire into spots.
Compares To: KEN DORSEY-Cleveland…With his lanky frame, Ainge is in dire need of a weight trainer to add bulk and strength. He lacks the foot speed to elude pocket pressure and his accuracy suffers when forced to throw after being flushed out of the pocket. He is a precise short-to-intermediate passer, but even though he puts a lot of air behind his deep throws, he fails to place it over the outside shoulder of his target. Because of his slight frame, he has had a fair share of injuries, but he is slow to recover, making one wonder if he has the physical and mental toughness to be more than a clipboard holder at the next level, much like Dorsey.
Injury Report
2004: Suffered a right shoulder separation vs. Notre Dame (11/06), missing the team’s final four games vs. Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Auburn and Texas A&M.
2006: Suffered a right ankle sprain vs. South Carolina (10/28), missing most of the next game vs. Louisiana State and then sat out the Arkansas clash.
2007: Suffered a torn right knee meniscus in spring camp (3/27) that required surgery…Broke the little finger on his throwing (right) hand in fall camp (8/27).
Copyright NFLDraftScout.com, distributed by The Sports Xchange.
Q & A
Growing up, who was your favorite NFL player and why?
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The rangy quarterback battled through injury issues and presently ranked third in school history in pass completions (516), pass attempts (854) and touchdown passes (51). He is fourth in school annals with 6,308 passing yards and 6,107 yards in total offense.
Ainge made a long trip from the state of Oregon to the Tennessee campus in 2004. Prior to his arrival, he earned 2003 Oregon Gatorade Player of the Year honors and was named to the Prep Star All-American squad that year for Glencoe High School. The Northwest Nugget (awarded to top six athletes in Northwest U.S.) and All-State selection as a senior, Erik was also a first-team All-Metro quarterback as both a junior and senior.
He led the state in passing yards, completions and touchdowns during his final season, as he threw for 3,078 yards, 24 touchdowns and only eight interceptions. His best game that year was against Aloha High, finishing 20-of-28 for 475 yards with five touchdowns and he accounted for 62 points in the first three quarters.
As a junior, Ainge passed for 2,554 yards and 15 touchdowns. He garnered Street & Smith’s magazine All-American preseason honorable mention as a guard on the school’s basketball team, adding second-team All-Metro honors, as he averaged 16.4 point per game as a junior. He also lettered in baseball, competing as a pitcher, shortstop and first baseman during his freshman and sophomore campaigns.
During his first season at Tennessee, Ainge started six of nine games, missing the final four games due to a right shoulder separation. The second-team Freshman All-American choice by The Sporting News added All-Southeastern Conference All-Fresh-man Team and SEC Offensive Freshman of the Year recognition. He added Academic All-SEC accolades, as he completed 109-of-198 passes (55.1%) for 1,452 yards, 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He was held to 29 yards in losses on 16 rushing attempts, finishing with 1,423 yards in total offense (158.1 yards per game).
As a sophomore, Ainge appeared in eight games, starting vs. Louisiana State, Notre Dame and Memphis. He sat out three games, finishing with a career-low 737 yards on 66-of-145 tosses (45.5%) with five touchdowns and seven interceptions. He turned the ball over three times on five fumbles, was sacked nine times for minus-78 yards and collected 673 yards of total offense on 169 plays (84.1 yards per game).
Ainge almost completed the 2006 season unscathed, but a right ankle sprain vs. South Carolina forced him out of action vs. Arkansas. In 12 games, he hit on 233-of-348 passes (66.3%) for 2,989 yards (third-best season total in school history), 19 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He fumbled the ball twice, was sacked 13 times for losses totaling 106 yards. He recorded two solo tackles and gained 2,887 yards in total offense on 374 plays (240.6 yards per game). He closed out the year as an Academic All-SEC choice and was a semifinalist for the Manning and O’Brien Awards, given to the nation’s best quarterback.
Ainge suffered a broken pinky on his throwing hand in a late August scrimmage, but was recovered by the season opener. He would go on to have his best season at Tennessee, as he connected on 325-of-519 passes (62.6%) for 3,522 yards, 31 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Never known for his mobility, he lost 32 yards on 16 carries, finishing with 3,490 yards in total offense on 535 plays, an average of 249.29 yards per game.
In 43 games at Tennessee, Ainge started 35 contests. He connected on 700-of-1,210 attempts (57.85%) for 8,700 yards, 72 touchdowns and 35 interceptions. He rushed 82 times for minus-227 yards (minus-2.8 average) and a score, adding two solo tackles. On 1,292 plays, he amassed 8,473 yards in total offense. He was sacked 30 times for losses of 262 yards and lost seven of 15 fumbles.
Career Notes
Ainge ranks third in school history with 6,107 yards total offense, topped by Peyton Manning (11,201 yards, 1994-97) and Casey Clausen (9,577 yards, 2000-03)…His 2,887 yards in total offense during 2006 is the seventh-best season total in Tennessee annals, while his 3,490 yards in 2007 rank second behind Peyton Manning (3,789 in 1997)…His 2007 total offense yardage of 3,490 yards placed eighth on the Southeastern Conference season-record chart…Ainge threw for 8,700 yards during his Vols career, the third-best all-time total in Tennessee history behind Manning (11,201 yards) and Clausen (9,707)…His 2,989 yards passing in 2006 rank fourth and his 3,522 yards rank second on the school’s single-season list, topped by Manning’s 3,819 yards in 1997…His 733 pass completions rank third in school history behind Manning (863) and Clausen (775), while his 1,210 pass attempts also rank third in Tennessee annals, topped again by Manning (1,381) and Clausen (1,270)…In SEC history, his 700 completions rank twelfth and his 1,210 attempts rank tenth on the all-time record lists…Only Manning (89, 19994-97) and Clausen (75, 2000-03) threw for more touchdowns in a Tennessee career than Ainge’s 72…His 72 touchdown tosses tied David Greene of Georgia (2001-04) for 10th on the SEC all-time record chart…His 325 pass completions in 2007 set a school season-record and are topped only by Tim Couch of Kentucky (400 in 1998 and 363 in 1997) on the conference career-record list…It also broke the old Vol record of 287 by Peyton Manning in 1997…His 519 pass attempts in 2007 topped Manning’s previous school season-record of 477 in 1997 and rank fourth in SEC annals behind Jared Lorenzen of Kentucky (559 in 2000) and Tim Couch of Kentucky (553 in 1998 and 547 in 1997)…Ainge’s 31 touchdown passes in 2007 are topped only by Peyton Manning’s 36 in 1997 on the school’s season-record list…His 32 pass completions vs. California in the 2007 season opener was the eighth-best game total in school history…His 47 pass attempts in the 2007 California clash rank 10th on the Vols’ single-game chart…Produced a string of 11 consecutive games of throwing at least one touchdown pass (Sept. 5, 2004-Sept. 17, 2005), the fourth-best string in school history behind Heath Shuler (18, from Oct. 17, 1992-Jan. 1, 1994), Tony Robinson (13, from Sept. 29, 1984-Oct. 12, 1985) and Casey Clausen (12, from Nov. 3, 2001-Oct. 5, 2002)…His string of 15 consecutive pass completions in the 2006 Air Force game was the second-longest streak in Tennessee history behind Tee Martin’s 24 (vs. Alabama/at South Carolina 10/24-31 in 1998)…Ainge’s streak of 136 pass attempts without an interception in 2006 is topped only by Casey Claussen (143 in 2003) on the school’s record list…His 84-yard pass to Robert Meachem vs. Memphis in 2006 was the fifth-longest completion in school annals behind Casey Clausen (90 yards to Mark Jones vs. Georgia in 2003), Andy Kelly (87 to Carl Pickens vs. Auburn in 1991), Alan Cockrell (85 to Clyde Duncan vs. Vanderbilt in 1983) and Jimmy Streater (85 to Anthony Hancock vs. Vanderbilt in 1979)…Threw for a career-high 397 yards vs. Kentucky in 2007, the sixth-best game total in school history behind Peyton Manning (523 vs. Kentucky in 1997, 492 vs. Florida in 1996, 408 vs. Northwestern in 1997 and 399 vs. Southern Mississippi in 1997) and Andy Kelly (399 vs. Notre Dame in 1990)…His seven touchdown passes in the 2007 Kentucky game set a school game-record and tied the Southeastern Conference mark held by Terry Dean of Florida (vs. New Mexico State in 1994), Tim Couch of Kentucky (vs. Indiana in 1997 and vs. Louisville in 1998) and Doug Johnson of Florida (vs. Central Michigan in 1997).
High School
Attended Glencoe (Hillsboro, Ore.) High School, playing football for head coach Craig Ruecker…Earned 2003 Oregon Gatorade Player of the Year honors and was named to the Prep Star All-American squad that year…The Northwest Nugget (awarded to top six athletes in Northwest U.S.) and All-State selection as a senior…First-team All-Metro quarterback as both a junior and senior…Led the state in passing yards, completions and touchdowns during his final season, as he threw for 3,078 yards, 24 touchdowns and only eight interceptions…His best game that year was against Aloha High, finishing 20-of-28 for 475 yards with five touchdowns and he accounted for 62 points in three quarters of action…As a junior, Ainge passed for 2,554 yards and fifteen touchdowns…Garnered Street & Smith’s magazine All-American preseason honorable mention as a guard on the school’s basketball team…Added second-team All-Metro honors, as he averaged 16.4 points per game as a junior…Also lettered in baseball, competing as a pitcher, shortstop and first baseman during his freshman and sophomore campaigns.
What about John Sullivan the Center from Notre Dame, we need a back up Center and he can play some guard and at the beginning of the season he was projected as a 1st day guy but had a bad senior season.
Having suffered through Ainge’s career at UT, I have jokingly said this weekend that he would be the icing on a terrible 2008 draft. Consider the cake served with extra icing. Woodyard or Goff would have been better choices for picks. Oh my the QB woes continue. When David Cutcliffe can’t get the best out of a player, no one can. ugghh.
henry is 6.4 hes huge may he and keller is the targets we need?
This Pick signals that Chad will be the starting QB for the next 3 seasons minimum!
Eric is a good develepomental pick at a low Cap number.
May be 2 years before the Jets will have an opportunity to daft the next franchise QB. NONE coming out in the 2009 draft!
So… you all should get behind Chad!
Chad gives the Jets the very best opportunity to get to and WIN a Super Bowl especially with the added talent on offense and defense so far this year.
Go Chad!
I believe in you!
Mike HART !!!!!!!
did the jets really just draft danny ainge? yuck
The only chance of Chad getting to the Super Bowl is as quarterbacks coach of the Chiefs.
Johnny Styne
You shall see!!!!!
Within 2 Years!!!!!
Take that to the BANK!!!!!
Chad has that “majic” that can not be taught and it will retun with all the talent added this off season!
The “majic” returns in 2008!
i would’ve preferred woodson as the project qb, but then again, i don’t know much about ainge.
Isn’t Tim Tebow coming out next year hes amazing and Ainge is not a terrible 3rd stringer better than the terrible veteran options like last couple of years tuiasosopo what a joke! Im just excited bout Gholston n Pace
I liked Josh Johnson, but Tampa snagged him a few spots ahead of us. Ainge was injured a lot in college, but when he was healthy, he was on. His numbers were really good, over 3k in yards, 62%+ completion percentage, 30+ touchdowns, and only 10 interceptions. All that and he was playing in the SEC! He’s a good pick up with legitimate shot of being our starter in a a couple years. I like this pick.
The pick is’nt bad he can sit and the staff can develop him and he can add some more weight since he’s only 225lb’s and that might be the reason why he was injured alot at Tennesssee