The New York Jets have not yet formally introduced their top pick of the NFL Draft, and that is apparently the way it will stay.
Most teams hold press conferences for their top picks at some point after they join the team, and almost all teams hold some sort of media event when they make a top-five selection. The availability gives the media a chance to learn more about the player and his journey to the NFL, but Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News notes that new Jets head coach Adam Gase did not allow Quinnen Williams to have that kind of big welcome.
Why? Mehta speculates that Gase may have wanted to send a message that Williams is no more important to the Jets than their other draft picks, though the fact that they selected the former Alabama star third overall says otherwise. Gase also could simply feel that a player who has yet to play a down in the NFL does not deserve a big press conference.
This isn’t the first time a coach has tried to change the culture of a team upon taking over, but it seems fairly significant. Between Gase squashing a tradition and the rumblings we have heard about the Jets’ front office, there are some interesting storylines to monitor in New York as we head into the 2019 season.
