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JETS COULD TRY TO CATCH RISING STAR

Wide receiver is a glaring need, and the Jets have to look long and hard at grabbing a receiver with their first-round pick, the 17th overall. Making the decision tougher is the belief that the top two receiving talents -- Michael Crabtree and Jeremy Maclin -- will be long gone by then. That leaves the Jets weighing whether to take a second-tier receiver or address one of their other needs.

If they decide to go with a receiver, Maryland's Darrius Heyward-Bey and Florida's Percy Harvin likely will be the best receivers on the board at 17. Both players can fly but both have question marks. For Heyward-Bey, there's a question about his lack of productivity in college. With Harvin, there are off-the-field concerns.

"I think that it's a very interesting decision for the Jets," said ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay.

Heyward-Bey turned heads at the NFL Scouting Combine in February when he ran a 4.3 40-yard dash, the fastest of any player. But he never put up big numbers at Maryland, causing people to wonder if he's more than just a track star in cleats.

"He can stretch the field," McShay said. "Now he needs some polishing and certainly is not a complete player at this point. But he can be an explosive, game-breaking type presence in the vertical passing game and I think the Jets could obviously use a player like that."

There are no questions about what Harvin can do on a football field. As a member of the national-champion Gators, he was a dual running-receiving threat. Many believe he's a Top 10 talent in this draft but questions about his character, including a report by FoxSports.com of a failed marijuana test, may cause him to drop in the draft.

"I think Harvin is really a good player," said Sirius NFL Radio analyst Gil Brandt, the former longtime personnel man for the Cowboys. "Harvin is from a tough background and had problems going back to high school. But if you looked at [his] Pro Day, he was sensational. He was really, really sensational. He's a talented player. Does he stay off the wrong side of the tracks? That's the question."

The Jets, like many teams, put a premium on character. They evaluate players on visits from the time they step off the plane to the time they get back on. If they have concerns about his maturity, Harvin may drop on their draft board.

Receiver is a tricky position to draft in the first round. The last few years have featured first-round busts at the position such as Rashaun Woods, Mike Williams and Matt Jones.

"It's a unique position, to be honest with you," Jets VP of college scouting Joey Clinkscales said. "You have a lot of guys who are prima donnas at that position as you all know. But you know, some guys always feel, in the second or third round, the reason why they are second- and third-round picks is because usually they have first-round value and first-round talent and there's something keeping them from being first-round players."

LINK >> JETS COULD TRY TO CATCH RISING STAR - New York Post

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