New York Jets: Should Josh Rosen be the guy with No. 3 pick?
The New York Jets have traded up to the No. 3 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, and now can be safe that one of the guys they want will be there. Josh Rosen is likely one of them.
When taking about Josh Rosen, many experts use one word over and over, polished. The New York Jets probably see that too, because Rosen is the most pro-ready and polished quarterback in the 2018 NFL Draft.
Since I can’t say it any better, here’s what Lance Zierlein of NFL.com wrote on his draft profile:
"Josh Rosen’s footwork and mechanics make him as pretty a quarterback as you will find in this year’s draft."
His background in tennis helped his skill in football. When he shifted his focus to only football in high school, it began to show immediately. Other things began to show up when he was at UCLA.
He played from under center at UCLA. So that’s a plus already, even though many teams are utilizing shotgun more in the NFL. He can anticipate throws rather than needing receivers to be open. Rosen can throw them open. Finally, Rosen understand pre-snap and post-snap coverage reads.
All of these are important, because one of his flaws is limited arm strength. It’s not that his arm strength is terrible. It can be considered slightly above average, but probably fourth-best among the best four in the class.
There are two major concerns: coachability and durability. The first is very important. He’s going to have to show that he can take to NFL coaching. There’s a saying that the best ability in sports is availability. For Rosen, he’s going to have to show he can be durable. He’s had concussions, and some nicks that kept him out of games, and it was a shoulder injury that forced him out of tennis and on to the gridiron.
Next: 2018 NFL Mock Draft: Post-free agency 3 rounds
With all that said, he’s the most ready to step in Week 1 and contribute to the Jets success right away. If he can get over the negative, the Jets have their franchise quarterback for the next decade.