The Jets selected WR Stephen Hill out of Georgia Tech with the 43rd overall pick (2nd round) of the 2012 NFL Draft.  Hill is a really big WR at 6’5″, 200 and he runs a 4.55 40.  Hill is good at winning jumps balls and he has a knack for getting deep.  He is also a really solid run blocker, which also likely appealed to the Jets’ brass.  Hill played in 13 games (all starts) for Georgia Tech last year and he caught 28 passes for an amazing 820 yards (29.3 avg) with 5 TD grabs.  He played in 38 games (23 starts) in his three years at Georgia Tech and he caught 49 passes for 1,248 yards (25.5 avg) with 9 TD grabs.  This was a great pick for the Jets as Hill has a huge upside.

The Jets selected DE Quinton Coples out of North Carolina with the #16 overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.  Coples is 6’5, 281 pounds and he runs a 4.75 40…so he’s a solid athlete.  Coples played in 13 games (all starts) for North Carolina last year and he had 55 tackles, 15 tackles for a loss, 7.5 sacks, 2 batted down balls, 3 forced fumbles and 1 fumble recovery.  Coples played in 51 games (26 starts) in his four years at North Carolina and he had 144 tackles, 40.5 tackles for a loss, 24 sacks, 2 batted balls, 5 forced fumbles and 2 fumble recoveries.  The Jets are desperate for a legit pass rusher and they have found one in Coples.  It will be up to the Jets’ coaches to keep him focused and motivated.

Back in the famous QB Draft of 1983, the Jets selected Ken O’Brien with the #24 overall pick.  John Elway and Jim Kelly went before O’Brien and Dan Marino went three spots after O’Brien.  O’Brien’s best year with the Jets came in this second year in the NFL in 1985.  He played in 16 games (all starts) for the Jets in 1985 and he completed 297 of 488 passes (60.9%) for 3,888 yards with 25 TD passes and 8 INTs (96.2 QB Rating).  He also carried the ball 25 times for 58 yards (2.3 ypc) with the Jets in 1985….a year in which he made his first Pro Bowl.  O’Brien played in 124 games (106 starts) in his 9 years with the Jets and he completed 2,039 of 3,465 (58.8%) for 24,386 yards with 124 TD passes and 95 INTs (81.0 QB Rating).  He also carried the ball 170 times for 377 yards (2.2 ypc) for the Jets.  O’Brien made it to 2 Pro Bowls in his 9 years with the Jets and he compiled a 50-55-1 (47.6%) record as the Jets’ starting QB during the regular season.  O’Brien is #2 in passing yards (24,386) and #2 in TD passes (124) in Jets’ history.  But, O’Brien didn’t save his best for last as he was 0-2 as the Jets’ starting QB in the playoffs.  He played in 3 games (2 starts) in the playoffs for the Jets and he completed 45 of 67 passes (67.2%) for 504 yards with 2 TD passes and 4 INTs (74.5 QB Rating).  O’Brien also carried the ball 6 times for 36 yards (6.0 ypc) in the playoffs.

41-year old QB Mark Brunell has decided to hang up the cleats and call it a career.  He played in 16 games (0 starts) for the Jets last year and he completed 1 of 3 passes (33.3%) for 27 yards with 0 TD passes and 0 INTs (67.4 QB Rating).  Brunell played in 18 games (0 starts) in his two years with the Jets and he completed 8 of 16 passes (50%) for 144 yards with 2 TD passes and 1 INT (94.8 QB Rating).  Brunell knew he wasn’t going to make the Jets’ roster in 2012 with Mark Sanchez and Tim Tebow ready to go at QB.

The New York Jets have signed 28-year old DE Jay Richardson.  He played in 7 games for the Seahawks last year and he had 8 tackles.  Richardson has now played in 55 games in his first four years in the NFL and he has 117 tackles, 7 sacks, 6 tackles for a loss and 1 pass defensed.  Richardson will get a shot to win a backup job for the Jets in training camp.

The Jets have re-signed 24-year old OLB Aaron Maybin to a 1-year deal.  Maybin played in 13 games for the Jets last year and he had 11 tackles, 6 sacks and 4 forced fumbles.  He has now played in 40 games in his first three years in the NFL and he has 35 tackles, 6 sacks, 5 forced fumbles and 2 tackles for a loss.  This was a good move for the Jets as Maybin was a first round pick just three years ago by the division rival Buffalo Bills, and they started to unlock some of his talent last year.

The Jets have signed 25-year old CB DeAngelo Smith.  Smith has not played in an NFL game since the 2009 season.  Smith played in 7 games in 2009 for the Detroit Lions and he had 16 tackles and 1 pass defensed.  Smith is going to be a big time longshot to win a spot on the Jets’ roster in 2012.

I just conducted by mock 2012 NFL Draft at bloglockers.com and this is who I saw the Jets getting:

1. (16) Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor

2. (47) Chandler Jones, DE, Syracuse

3. (77) Matt McCants, OT, UAB

5. (154) Janzen Jackson, FS, McNeese State

6. (187) Michael Smith, RB, Utah State

6. (202) Brandon Lindsey, OLB, Pittsburgh

6. (203) Shawn Loiseau, ILB, Merrimack (Mass)

7. (232) Chas Alecxih, DE, Pittsburgh

7. (242) Jake Bequette, DE, Arkansas

7. (244) Rodney Stewart, RB, Colorado

The New York Jets have not been really active in free agency this off-season.  They have acquired a couple of QBs, but they traded one of them already.  Here is a look at the off-season so far:

Offensively:  The Jets signed QB Drew Stanton early on in free agency to backup Mark Sanchez.  Then the Jets traded for QB Tim Tebow and dealt Stanton to the Indianapolis Colts for a draft pick.  Tebow will backup Mark Sanchez early on in 2012, but he could replace him if Sanchez doesn’t step up.  The Jets have also signed WR Chaz Schilens and they have re-signed WR Patrick Turner, but they aren’t expecting big things out of either of them.

Defensively:  The Jets have signed safety LaRon Landry to give them a thumper at the back end of the defense in 2012.  They have also re-signed NT Sione Pouha and OLB Bryan Thomas, which were smart moves as they are both still good players.

Special Teams:  The Jets have re-signed kicker Nick Folk.  He is not the best kicker around, but he’s steady.

GRADE SO FAR THIS OFF-SEASON:  C-

The New York Jets have acquired 24-year old QB Tim Tebow and a 7th round pick in 2012 for a 4th round pick and a 6th round pick in 2012.  Tebow played in 14 games (11 starts) for the Broncos last year and he completed 126 of 271 passes (46.5%) for 1,729 yards with 12 TD passes and 6 INTs (72.9 QB Rating).  He also carried the ball 122 times for 660 yards (5.4 ypc) with 6 TD runs last year.  Tebow has now played in 23 games (14 starts) in his first two years in the NFL and he has completed 167 of 353 passes (47.3%) for 2,383 yards with 17 TD passes and 9 INTs (75.1 QB Rating).  Tebow has also carried the ball 165 times for 887 yards (5.4 ypc) with 12 TD runs so far in his NFL career.  Tebow is 8-6 (57.1%) as a starting QB during the regular season in his first two years in the NFL.  Tebow will back up Mark Sanchez initially, but he could take his job at some point next year if he doesn’t start to step up.