APC Mock Draft 2014: New York Jets Select Odell Beckham Jr.

Continuing on with the Acme Packing Company Mock Draft, we break down the 18th overall pick held by the New York Jets.

Background:

As we all know, the 2013 New York Jets were a huge success, racking up wins and putting up impressive stats, all culminating in this locker room celebration at the end of the season:

Wait, what? That was actually the Jets, nigh uncorking-champagne-bottles to celebrate the non-firing of their coach after an 8-8 season? This is the bizzaro world Jets fans live in these days. But really, who can blame them? In a vacuum, celebrating a .500 record seems like the Jets-iest thing ever, but when you consider what the expectations were coming into the season, maybe it wasn’t so nuts after all.

Remember, this was a team expected to be historically bad. But somewhere along the line, these Jets - stripped of all their buttfumbly pride - became a nice little story. The Super Bowl guarantees stopped and suddenly, Rex Ryan transformed this team into a scrappy bunch that gave hell to every team they came across.

Of course, that was largely due to Rex Ryan’s specialty - defense. Armed with young, talented draft picks like Muhammad Wilkerson, Quinton Coples and Sheldon Richardson, the Jets finished the year ranked 11th in total defense and were 3rd against the run. Just imagine if they still had Darrelle Revis instead of Kyle Wilson or Dee Milliner. But even though the defense played well, it wasn’t enough to compensate for an offense that was weighed down by a lack of playmakers. So for this draft, that’s where they’ll focus:

With the 18th pick in the NFL draft, the New York Jets select…

Player: Odell Beckham, Jr.
Position: Wide Receiver
School: LSU
Year: Junior

Geno Smithhad a rough rookie year, but regardless if it’s him or the recently-added Michael Vickstarting at quarterback, the team needs more weapons. And maybe no other adjective is more appropriate for Odell Beckham Jr. Named the 2013 Paul Hornung Award winner for the FBS’ most versatile player, Beckham racked up 2,315 all-purpose yards last year, breaking the school’s single-season record. And while the Jets landed a nice possession receiver in Eric Decker this off-season, Beckham gives them a much needed jolt with his speed and agility.

Round One Summary

Tomorrow, we inch ever-closer to the Packers' pick, as the Dolphins will be on the clock at number 19.