New York Jets select Pro Bowl tight end in new 2011 NFL redraft from PFF

The annual NFL Draft is far from an exact science. Every team tries to pick the best possible prospects available, but more often than not the players underperform to some degree. That’s what makes re-drafts such an intriguing exercise. What would some teams have done differently if they could have seen each player’s future?

That’s what the folks over at Pro Football Focus did for the 2011 NFL Draft. This was a fantastic class which featured as many as six future Hall of Fame players, depending on your point of view, but the New York Jets did not get one of those elite players in this redraft.

Picking 30^th overall, the Jets in reality took defensive tackle Muhammad Wilkerson from Temple. All things considered, this was a good selection. Wilkerson was a second-team All-Pro twice and earned a Pro Bowl nod, as well. In seven seasons with the Jets, he racked up a respectable 44.5 sacks.

But PFF thought the Jets could do better. In their redraft, they have the Jets selecting Notre Dame tight end Kyle Rudolph, who went 13 spots later in reality.

It’s tough to argue against this pick. Rudolph, who himself was a two-time Pro Bowler, put up 11 seasons of solid production, four more than what the Jets got out of Wilkerson. Already the Jets would come out ahead in this redraft with the longer career.

Rudolph would also have provided quarterback Mark Sanchez with another reliable pass catcher. Sure, the 2011 Jets had Plaxico Burress and Santonio Holmes leading their wide receiver room, but both players were well past their primes and Buress only stayed for that one year.

Would the Jets have seen more success with Rudolph instead of Wilkerson? Maybe. You can never discount the importance of adding dependable pass catchers to a struggling offense, but Wilkerson made plenty of contributions on the defensive side.

Ultimately, I don’t think much would have changed for the Jets and they would likely still be searching for their first playoff win since 2010. Hopefully, with new quarterback Justin Fields impressing coaches and teammates, that drought will end anyway in 2025.