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Jets address key spots on the offensive line

All you have to do is put in a tape of last season's Jets-Jacksonville game to understand why the team selected two offensive linemen in the first round of the 2006 draft.

Not one, but two quarterbacks (Chad Pennington and Jay Fiedler) were knocked out for the season with shoulder injuries, resulting from leaky protection.

So welcome to Hempstead Virginia offensive tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson (#4) and Ohio State center Nick Mangold (#29), the top players at their respective positions in this draft class.

The importance of the Ferguson selection can’t be understated. Franchise left tackles only pop up every few years, and Ferguson qualifies as one. And the beauty of top-shelf left tackle prospects is that they almost always work out.

If D'Brickashaw Ferguson wants to keep Jets fans happy, he has to keep his quarterback healthy. (AP)

Think about some of the recent big-time offensive tackle prospects – Orlando Pace (St. Louis), Walter Jones (Seattle) and Jonathan Ogden (Baltimore) are three examples. All these players turned into superstars.

Ferguson has the physical skills to enter this stratosphere. Some scouts feel that "The Brick" is the best left tackle in the draft since Pace in 1997.

"With my background on defense, one of the things I appreciate the most is a good left tackle," said Jets coach Eric Mangini. "Defensively, you’re always looking for a weakness which is normally at the left tackle, so it’s great to get a player the caliber of D’Brickashaw. He’s a nice fit for us in terms of what we need. We’re excited to get D’Brickashaw here."

Not only does Ferguson fill a glaring need at left tackle, he's also the type of character-player the new Jets regime is attempting to add. Dogs need not apply for jobs at Weeb Ewbank Hall.

"We want great players and great people," said Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum. "D’Brickashaw impressed me when he came to visit us. Here’s a guy who’s been successful in college and has had all the hype that goes along with the draft process, but he’s grounded."

Nick Mangold hopes for better luck than former Ohio State teammate Alex Stepanovich. (AP)

But you have to wonder if he will be playing center as a rookie with the New York Jets.

"Offensive center is the toughest job (for a rookie)," said Green Bay fullback William Henderson on ESPN after Mangold was selected. "You have to learn to read defenses and make line calls immediately."

If Mangold wants to find out how hard it is to start at center as a rookie in the NFL, all he has to do is ask the man he replaced at Ohio State – Alex Stepanovich, who flopped as a rookie with Arizona.

So it’s possible the Jets will play Mangold at guard as a rookie, and let veteran free-agent pickup Trey Teague handle the center position this year.

With Mangold’s excellent mobility, he could be very effective as a pulling guard.

Kellen Clemens could be an effective starting quarterback down the road, and the Jets grabbed the Oregon product in the second round. Now the team has four starting-quality quarterbacks (Chad Pennington, Patrick Ramsey, Brooks Bollinger and Clemens).

ESPN’s Ron Jaworski thinks Clemens could turn out to be the best quarterback in this draft.

Clemens was having a terrific season for Oregon before breaking his ankle in October, prematurely ending his campaign.

But was this pick necessary? Clemens might not be any better than Bollinger -- and only time will tell.

But remember, Clemens played in a dink-and-dunk offense in 2005 under new coordinator Gary Crowton, where he only had to read one-third of the field this past season. This can make a quarterback look awfully good.

Kellen Clemens: best QB in draft or career backup? Time will tell. (AP)

It looks like the new Jets regime is taking the baton from the old brass as far as selling Bollinger short.

The Jets might have reached in the third round for Ohio State middle linebacker Anthony Schlegel, who has a terrific motor, but is a stiff athlete without great speed and coverage skills.

"He is more of a back-up type in the NFL," said ESPN’s Mel Kiper.

To wrap Day One, the Jets picked Michigan State safety Eric Smith, a tough hombre, who has had a history of knee problems and lacks ideal speed.

You have to love their two first-round selections, but there are some questions about the picks that followed on Day One. You have to wonder why the Jets didn’t add a pass-rushing outside linebacker in the first three rounds to help them in their transition to a 3-4 scheme.

So, the Jets' first day gets mixed reviews.