While the first three rounds saw six Seminoles hear their name called, it wasn't until the 36th pick of the fifth round that the leader and heartbeat of the Seminoles was able to hear his name called. The Jets selected Jordan Travis with the 171st overall selection to be the heir apparent to Aaron Rogers.
In Travis, the Jets have a leader. “A real leader faces the music, even when he doesn’t like the tune.” – Anonymous. Travis earned the respect of not only the players on the team but the Florida State fan base as well. He is a dual-threat quarterback who shows a great ability to make the right throw. He's got a football mind to read and dissect the opposing team's defenses. With the ability to throw on the run and in non-normal conditions, and while he has a great pocket presence to know and be able to escape the pocket to create plays he shows a fearlessness to be able to deliver the pass.
Travis finishes his career at Florida State as one of the all-time leaders in program history with 96 total touchdowns which set the all-time mark for the Seminoles. Averaging almost five yards a carry on the ground and nine yards per attempt in the air during his time in Tallahassee, he knew when and where to deliver the ball and when to evade defenders and run for yards and touchdowns. He's a rare combination of high football intelligence, passing ability, and athletic ability to run and gain yards as needed.
For the Jets, selecting Travis in the fifth round provides the Jets with an understudy for Aaron Rogers. After suffering the season-ending injury that Travis did, although no longer an issue he is on pace to be ready for training camp it will allow for the Jets to not rush Travis into the starting role. The Jets needed to establish a plan of succession for Rogers and Travis gives them that opportunity to do just that.
Pick Grade - A. Currently, the Jets have Aaron Rogers, who is set to return from a torn Achilles, and while he is ready and recovered one wonders how many more years he has left. The current backup is journeyman Tyrod Taylor who while has done well at times is not a long-term solution. By drafting Travis, the Jets get someone who can study and not face the pressure to start right away. It was a great value selection as Travis' intangibles are elite.
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