New York Jets: 3 Early bold predictions for the 2018 season

Now that the NFL Draft is in the books, here are three early bold predictions for the New York Jets for the 2018 season.

There is a lot of excitement among fans of the New York Jets after last month’s NFL Draft. Does Gang Green finally have their franchise quarterback? I think so. I

believe Sam Darnold will be the real deal. Now that the dust has settled after that extravaganza, I thought it would be fun to make three early bold predictions for the upcoming 2018 campaign.

Training camp is over two months away but here are a trio of prognostications as we gaze into New York’s crystal ball:

1. Isaiah Crowell will rush for over 1,000 yards

The last Jets halfback to rush for over 1,000 yards was Chris Ivory in 2015 (1070 yards). Crowell came close to the magical mark back in 2016 with the hapless Cleveland Browns when he galloped for 952 yards. He’ll be the focal point of New York’s ground attack this coming season and he has the ability to take the reins and literally run with it.

The four-year NFL veteran is just 25 years old so he is in his prime. He’s durable — he started all 16 games the last two seasons for Cleveland. He’s never missed a game. Crowell had a career-high 206 carries last year so he is strong enough to manage a full workload.

The Jets will need to establish a solid ground game to set up play action for Josh McCown and/or Teddy Bridgewater. When rookie quarterback Sam Darnold eventually takes over, Crowell will be even more important. He has the skill set necessary — he’s also an effective pass catcher out of the backfield — to move the chains, take time off the clock and take pressure off a rookie signal-caller. He’s steady at picking up the blitz as well.

Gang Green must have a strong rushing attack no matter who is under center. They don’t exactly lead the league in dynamic wide receivers. A potent run game is key. Crowell should be up to the task of being New York’s premier running back. When all is said and done, he’ll have over 1,000 yards on the ground and keep the Jets in the playoff hunt for most of the 2018 season.