The New York Jets have the sixth overall pick in the upcoming NFL draft. Why? Because they finished 4-12 last season and were one of the worst teams in the league. Sheldon Richardson does not see that happening again in 2015.
The Jets have hired a new coach in former Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles. They have also revamped their secondary by bringing back both Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie and their receiving corps by trading for Brandon Marshall and signing Percy Harvin.
According to Richardson, all of that will add up to the best team in the NFL.
“We strongly feel like we’re going to be the top defense in the league — and top team in the league, not just defense,” the Pro Bowl defensive end said Monday, per Dom Cosentino of NJ.com. “Offensively and defensively, we made moves that I feel like that progressed this team forward, and I feel like Jet Nation feels the same way.”
There’s no question the Jets have gotten better on paper, but Richardson needs to pump the brakes. As of now, Geno Smith is still the starting quarterback. If you remember, Richardson was hesitant to throw support behind Smith last year amid rumors that the former West Virginia star had lost the Jets’ locker room.
“Now we can actually go, as a group, [what we were] trying to do in previous years, we can do that now,” Richardson added. “This is going to be a great season. I strongly feel like this is going to be a great season for us.”
There’s a decent chance newly-acquired Ryan Fitzpatrick steals the quarterback job away from Smith during training camp. Perhaps Richardson is banking on that happening, but the Jets are still a long way from becoming the best team in the AFC East, let alone the entire league.
While the Jets have improved, so too have the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills. The Patriots have lost pieces, but they still have Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. They also just won the Super Bowl. Richardson seems to have learned nothing from his former coach about making outlandish statements.
