The New York Jets were really hit and miss in the 2011 NFL Draft.  Here is a look at how their rookies did in their first taste of the NFL:

22-year old DE Muhammad Wilkerson was the Jets’ first round pick in 2011.  He played in all 16 games for the Jets last year and he had 49 tackles, 9 tackles for a loss, 3 sacks, 1 forced fumble and 2 passes defensed.  Wilkerson is likely going to be a starter for a long time for the New York Jets.

24-year old DT Kenrick Ellis was a 3rd round pick of the Jets last April.  He played in 5 games for the Jets last year and he had 7 tackles and 1 tackle for a loss.  The Jets hope that Ellis improves in 2012.

23-year old RB Bilal Powell was picked in the 4th round by the Jets.  Powell played in 2 games for the Jets last year and he carried the ball 13 times for 21 yards (1.6 ypc).  He also caught 1 pass for 7 yards for the Jets.  He is buried on the depth chart right now.

23-year old WR Jeremy Kerley came to the Jets in the 5th round.  Kerley played in 14 games for the Jets last year and he caught 29 passes for 314 yards (10.8 avg) with 1 TD grab.  He also carried the ball 5 times for 28 yards (5.6 ypc) and he completed his only pass attempt of the year and it was good for 41 yards.  Kerley wasn’t done there as he also helped out on special teams.  He returned 29 punts for 317 yards (10.9 avg) and 1 kickoff for 15 yards.

23-year old QB Greg McElroy came to the Jets in the 7th round.  He spent his rookie season on the Injured Reserve List due to surgery to repair his right thumb.  McElroy’s future with the Jets is up in the air after he sounded off about the locker room recently.

23-year old WR Scotty McKnight was also picked in the 7th round.  McKnight was cut before the season started.

GRADE FOR 2011:  C+

GRADE FOR THE FUTURE:  B

25-year old QB Mark Sanchez improved a little bit in 2011, but not as much as the Jets were hoping he would.  Sanchez led the Jets to an 8-8 record.  He played in 16 games (all starts) for the Jets last year and he completed 308 of 543 passes (56.7%) for 3,474 yards with 26 TD passes and 18 INTs (78.2 QB Rating).  He also carried the ball 37 times for 103 yards (2.8 ypc) with 6 TD runs last year.  Sanchez has now played in 47 games (all starts) in his first three years with the Jets and he has completed 782 of 1,414 (55.3%) for 9,209 yards with 55 TD passes and 51 INTs (73.2 QB Rating).  He has also carried the ball 103 times for 314 yards (3.0 ypc) with 12 TD runs in his NFL career.  Sanchez is 27-20 (57.4%) as the starting QB of the Jets during the regular season.

Even if the Jets wanted to bench Sanchez last year, they really couldn’t as 41-year old Mark Brunell was the backup QB.  Brunell played in all 16 games (0 starts) for the Jets last year and he completed 1 of 3 passes (33.3%) for 27 yards without a TD pass or INT (67.4 QB Rating).  He also carried the ball 4 times for -12 yards (-3.0 ypc) last year for the Jets.  Brunell has now played in 193 games (151 starts) in his NFL career and he has completed 2,761 of 4,640 passes (59.5%) for 32,072 yards with 184 TD passes and 108 INTs (84.0 QB Rating).  He has also carried the ball 513 times for 2,421 yards (4.7 ypc) with 15 TD runs so far in his NFL career.  Brunell is 78-73 (51.7%) as a starting QB during the regular season in his NFL career.  The Jets will likely be looking for a upgrade over Brunell as Sanchez’ backup in 2012.

The Jets played hard, but not good enough to beat the Dolphins yesterday.  Mark Sanchez completed 21 of 32 passes for 207 yards with 2 TD passes and 3 INTs as he didn’t play too well.  WR Jeremy Kerley was also over the field in this game as he completed his only pass attempt and it was good for 41 yards.  He also carried the ball 1 time for 16 yards and he led the way in the passing game with 4 grabs for 71 yards.  LaDainian Tomlinson led the way for the Jets on the ground in this game with 56 yards rushing on 11 carries (5.1 ypc) and he also caught 4 passes for 23 yards (5.8 avg) in this game.  Shonn Greene pitched in with 14 carries for 55 yards (3.9 ypc) for the Jets yesterday.  Plaxico Burress (4 rec, 57 yards), Dustin Keller (7 rec, 45 yards, TD), TE Matthew Mulligan (1 rec, 41 yards) and WR Patrick Turner (1 rec, 10 yards, TD) also pitched in for the Jets in this game.  The Jets finished up with 129 yards rushing on 27 carries (4.8 ypc) and they also completed 22 of 33 passes (66.7%) for 245 yards as they had possession of the ball for 28:53.

The defense played excellent for the Jets yesterday.  LB Josh Mauga (5 tackles), LB Bart Scott (5 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss) and CB Kyle Wilson (5 tackles) led the way for the Jets on D in this game.  Safety Brodney Pool and CB Antonio Cromartie each intercepted one pass apiece in this game.  The Dolphins finished up with 82 yards rushing on 26 carries (3.2 ypc) and they also completed 22 of 32 passes (68.8%) for 128 yards.  The Jets finished the 2011 season with a 8-8 record.

The Jets are looking pretty bad right now as they have lost their last two games by a combined score of 74-33!  Now they are going to need a win over the Dolphins and losses by the Bengals, Titans and either the Broncos or Raiders to get into the playoffs.  That is a lot of luck needed.  The Dolphins have won 5 of their last 8 games as they have been playing well lately.  The Jets beat the Dolphins 24-6 in New Jersey earlier this year.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Jets have the ball:  The Jets are likely going to come out throwing the ball against a Dolphins’ D that is allowing 249.8 yards passing per game so far this year.  The Jets are going to have to protect Mark Sanchez for this to work and they are also going to need him to make good decisions with the football.  Dustin Keller, Plaxico Burress and Santonio Holmes are going to have to step up if the Jets are going to win this game.  The Dolphins are only giving up 93.4 yards yards rushing per game and 3.6 yards per carry so far this year, so Shonn Greene is going to have to fight for every yard he gets.  Watch for LaDainian Tomlinson to be the Jets’ secret weapon both running and catching the ball out of the backfield this Sunday.

When the Dolphins have the ball:  The Jets’ front seven is going to have to be ready to deal with the Dolphins’ running game.  Reggie Bush (1,086 yards rushing) and Daniel Thomas (553 yards rushing) are going to be a big time challenge for the Jets to stop as they are giving up 113.0 yards rushing per game and 4.0 yards per carry so far this year.  The Jets are going to have to get after QB Matt Moore as he has been a very efficient game manager type of QB so far this season.  Moore has a decent set of WRs and TEs to throw to, so the Jets’ secondary will need to step up in this game.

PREDICTION:  DOLPHINS 23, JETS 20

The New York Jets will be sending a trio of players to the Pro Bowl.  26-year old CB Darrelle Revis will be a starter for the AFC.  He has played in 15 games for the Jets so far this year and he has 51 tackles, 19 passes defensed, 4 interceptions (184 total return yards with 1 TD return) and 1 tackle for a loss.  28-year old OT D’Brickashaw Ferguson and 27-year old center Nick Mangold will be going to Hawaii as reserves.  Ferguson has played in 15 games (all starts) for the Jets this year, while center Nick Mangold has played in 13 games (all starts) so far this season.

Jets’ head coach Rex Ryan was writing checks his players couldn’t cash last weekend.  Mark Sanchez completed 30 of 59 passes for 258 yards with 1 TD pass and 2 INTs.  He also carried the ball 4 times for 13 yards (3.3 ypc) with 1 TD run and he also lost a fumble.  Shonn Greene led the way on the ground for the Jets with 58 yards rushing on 14 carries (4.5 ypc) and he also caught 3 passes for 20 yards.  LaDainian Tomlinson pitched in with 5 carries for 29 yards (5.8 ypc) and he also caught 6 passes for 36 yards.  TE Dustin Keller led the way in the passing game for the Jets with 8 grabs for 77 yards.  WR Santonio Holmes (4 rec, 50 yards), WR Jeremy Kerley (5 rec, 36 yards) and TE Josh Baker (1 rec, 5 yards, TD) also had decent games for the Jets.  The Jets finished up with 105 yards rushing on 25 carries (4.2 ypc) and they also completed 30 of 59 passes (50.8%) for 226 yards as they had possession of the ball for 36:06.

The defense didn’t look too good as they gave up too many big plays in this game.  LB Bart Scott (6 tackles), DE Muhammad Wilkerson (5 tackles, 1 sack, 2 tackles for a loss and 1 QB hit) and LB David Harris (4 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss, 1 sack, 1 pass defensed, 1 QB hit and 1 interception) led the way for the Jets on D.  The Giants finished up with 115 yards rushing on 26 carries (4.4 ypc) and they also completed 9 of 27 passes (33.3%) for 217 yards.  The Jets are now 8-7 on the year.

The Jets and Giants both really need this game if they are going to make it to the playoffs in 2011.  The Jets are the designated home team, so they should have more fans than the Giants.  The Jets have won three of their last four games despite getting thumped 45-19 by the Eagles in Philly last weekend.  The Giants got pushed around at home by the Redskins last weekend, 23-10.  The Giants have lost five of their last six games now.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Jets have the ball:  The Jets are going to come out running the ball with Shonn Greene against a Giants’ D that is giving up 127.6 yards rushing per game and 4.5 yards per carry so far this year.  If the Jets establish the running game, it will make things easier for Mark Sanchez off playaction.  The Giants have an outstanding pass rush, led by DE Jason Pierre-Paul and his 13 sacks, so Sanchez is going to have to get rid of the ball quickly in this game.  Plaxico Burress, Dustin Keller and Santonio Holmes are going to have mis-matches down the field against a Giants’ secondary that has been getting shredded lately.

When the Giants have the ball:  The Jets’ front seven is going to have to tighten up the chinstraps, because Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw are likely to get a lot of work tomorrow.  The Jets are going to have to get after Eli Manning tomorrow, because he has a knack for making big throws down the field when he has time to throw the ball.  It’s going to hurt him to be without TE Jake Ballard and WR Mario Manningham tomorrow.  The Jets are going to lock CBs Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie on Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz….and those are going to be matchups to watch in this game.

PREDICTION:  JETS 21, GIANTS 20

The New York Jets got whacked hard by the Eagles in Philly yesterday.  Mark Sanchez had a rough game as he completed 15 of 26 passes for 150 yards with 2 TD passes and 2 INTs.  Mark Brunell finished up this game at QB and he completed 1 of 3 passes for 27 yards.  Shonn Greene led the way on the ground for the Jets in this game with 73 yards rushing on 18 carries (4.1 ypc).  LaDainian Tomlinson pitched in with 9 yards rushing on 3 carries (3.0 ypc) and he also caught 4 passes for 12 yards (3.0 avg) in this game.  TE Dustin Keller (3 rec, 73 yards), WR Santonio Holmes (4 rec, 40 yards and a TD catch) and Plaxico Burress (1 rec, 9 yards, TD) helped out the Jets in the passing game.  But, Santonio Holmes lost a fumble that was returned 47 yards for a TD by DE Juqua Parker of the Eagles.  The Jets finished up with 94 yards rushing on 27 carries (3.5 ypc) and they also completed 16 of 29 passes (55.2%) for 147 yards as they had possession of the ball for 29:57.

The defense was also awful for the Jets yesterday.  LB David Harris (7 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss, 1 pass defensed and 1 interception), DE Muhammad Wilkerson (6 tackles, 3 tackles for a loss and 1 sack) and OLB Calvin Pace (6 tackles) led the way for the Jets on D in this game.  Safety Brodney Pool (fumble recovery) and CB Ellis Lankster (2 fumble recoveries) also made big plays for the Jets.  The Eagles finished up with 160 yards rushing on 33 carries (4.8 ypc) and they also completed 15 of 22 passes (68.2%) for 260 yards.  The Jets are now 8-5 on the season after this punishing loss.

The New York Jets have won three games in a row as they are rolling right now.  This is a big game for the Jets as long as the playoff picture is concerned.  The Eagles looked pretty good in beating the Dolphins 26-10 in Miami last weekend.  They will try to be a spoiler for the Jets tomorrow in Philly.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Jets have the ball:  The Jets offensive is starting to look the way Coach Ryan wants it to.  So look for the Jets to ride RB Shonn Greene hard in the game tomorrow against a Eagles’ D that is giving up 115.1 yards rushing and 4.4 yards per carry.  The Jets need to run the ball well to set up playaction passes for Mark Sanchez.  Sanchez will try to get the ball down the field to WRs Santonio Holmes, Plaxico Burress and TE Dustin Keller….but it won’t be easy if the DBs play up to their ability tomorrow.  The Jets must also find a way to keep the Eagles’ out of their backfield and that won’t be easy as the Eagles already have 42 sacks so far this year.

When the Eagles have the ball:  Michael Vick came back from his broken ribs last weekend, but he didn’t venture out of the pocket much.  RB Lesean McCoy will be the main man in the running game but the Jets have tightened up as of late against the run as they are only giving up 3.9 yards per carry so far this year.  The Jets have the best secondary in the NFL, so Michael Vick is going to have to be careful throwing the ball.  The Eagles would be smart to attack the safeties by throwing the ball a lot to TE Brent Celek.

PREDICTION:  JETS 21, EAGLES 20

25-year old QB Mark Sanchez has been really efficient the last three weeks, leading the Jets to 99 combined points in those games!  He has completed 49 of 88 passes (55.7%) for 526 yards with 7 TD passes and 1 INT.  He has now played in 13 games for the Jets so far this year and he has completed 242 of 426 passes (56.8%) for 2,859 yards with 21 TD passes and 11 INTs (83.1 QB Rating).  He has also carried the ball 30 times for 85 yards (2.8 ypc) with 5 TD runs.  Sanchez is starting to really improve his decision making lately and it’s leading to Jets’ wins.