NEW YORK JETS DAILY CLIPS

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1 NEW YORK JETS DAILY CLIPS May 9, 2014 Table of Contents ASSOCIATED PRESS... 2 Jets pick Louisville safety Calvin Pryor at No. 18 (Dennis Waszak)... 2 NEWSDAY... 3 Jets draft safety Calvin Pryor (Kimberley Martin)... 3 Geno Smith says he's looking forward to competing with Michael Vick (Marc Raimondi)... 4 THE RECORD... 5 Jets take safety Calvin Pryor at No. 18 (J.P. Pelzman)... 5 STAR-LEDGER... 6 In drafting Calvin Pryor, Jets following Seahawks' blueprint (Michael Fensom)... 6 NFL Draft 2014: Jets go with defense in first round again, picking safety Calvin Pryor (Darryl Slater)... 7 What does Jets' selection of Calvin Pryor mean for Antonio Allen, Jaiquawn Jarrett (Michael Fensom)... 8 Calvin Pryor's path to Jets can be traced to October game against Blake Bortles (Michael Fensom)... 9 NFL Draft 2014: Jets' needs for Day 2 (Rounds 2 and 3) (Darryl Slater)... 9 NEW YORK POST Jets select hard-hitting safety Calvin Pryor (Brian Costello) NEW YORK DAILY NEWS NFL Draft: With 18th pick, NY Jets select Louisville DB Calvin Pryor (Seth Walder) John Idzik, Rex Ryan expecting plenty of engagement on defense from Calvin Pryor (Manish Mehta) NEW YORK TIMES Jets Select a Safety From Louisville (Ben Shpigel) WALL STREET JOURNAL Jets Use First-Round Pick on Safety Calvin Pryor (Stu Woo) ESPN NEW YORK Jets hope Pryor not a 'fine' choice (Rich Cimini) With Pryor, Jets try to copy Seattle's best (Rich Cimini) NJ.COM Five things to know about Jets first-round draft pick Calvin Pryor (Dom Cosentino) Calvin Pryor: Scouting report on Jets' first-round pick (Dom Cosentino) METRO NEW YORK Geno Smith excited to get new weapons in NFL Draft (Kristian Dyer) Jets select Louisville safety Calvin Pryor in first round (Kristian Dyer) Geno Smith won t handicap QB competition with Michael Vick (Kristian Dyer) P a g e

2 THURSDAY S SPORTS TRANSACTIONS ASSOCIATED PRESS Jets pick Louisville safety Calvin Pryor at No. 18 (Dennis Waszak) Associated Press May 9, FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) Rex Ryan saw game film of Calvin Pryor and liked what he saw and heard. Boom! Pop! Pow! Ryan and the New York Jets expect plenty of those hard hits from their first-round draft pick. They selected the Louisville safety at No. 18 on Thursday night, helping bolster a secondary that ranked 22nd in pass defense last season. "We pride ourselves in being a physical football team, and he fits that profile," Ryan said. "This young man is an enforcer." Pryor, who earned the nickname "Louisville Slugger" in college, could compete with Antonio Allen and Jaiquawn Jarrett for a starting spot opposite Dawan Landry. "When I came in for a visit, I felt like I fit that scheme very well," Pryor said on a conference call, adding that the Jets run the same type of defense Louisville did. It is the fifth straight year the Jets have selected a defensive player with their first pick. They took cornerback Dee Milliner last year at No. 9. Many fans and media speculated that the Jets would take a wide receiver possibly LSU's Odell Beckham Jr., who went to the Giants at No. 12, or Oregon State's Brandin Cooks, who was available or cornerback particularly Michigan State's Darqueze Dennard. Instead, they went with a safety who was widely considered the best available at his position. Pryor impressed general manager John Idzik and Ryan when they saw him in action, and then on his visit to the team's facility. Idzik first made Ryan aware of Pryor during the college football season. "He said, 'I just saw a guy who you are going to absolutely love,'" Ryan recalled. So, Ryan took a look at the video and watched Pryor chase down a Central Florida player for a loss, then put a "knockout hit" on a running back, followed by a one-handed interception of a pass by Blake Bortles, a fellow first-rounder all on the first series of the game. Ryan stressed the importance of playmaking safeties by pointing out the performances of Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor in Seattle's Super Bowl-winning secondary. "It's how we want to play defense," Ryan said. "And, I think this young man is going to step in and fit right in with the guys we already have." The 5-foot-11 Pryor earned the starting job at safety midway through his freshman season and quickly became a team leader. Pryor had seven interceptions, nine forced fumbles and 218 tackles in three seasons at Louisville. "He fits our profile," Idzik said. "He's a physical presence on the field. He has range, makes plays and creates turnovers." 2 P a g e

3 The Jets insisted they aren't worried about his long-term durability with the mix of his size and physical play. "That certainly hasn't been his history," Idzik said. "He usually inflicts it instead of receives it." The selection of Pryor kicked off a draft for the Jets in which they entered with 12 picks, the first time they had that many since Idzik wouldn't discuss whether the Jets considered Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel, who was still available when New York was on the clock. The GM did acknowledge that the Jets fielded several calls and made calls themselves about teams that were interested in trading up or down. "We stuck to our philosophy. We stuck to our board," Idzik said. "Calvin was our guy." Pryor, from Port St. Joe, Florida, wasn't heavily recruited out of high school, and he believes that was mainly because he split time among football, basketball and baseball. "The town was small and I never went to camps," he said. "I played all three sports growing up, so I never had the chance to separate myself and show them that I was a heck of a football player. I played AAU basketball and AAU baseball, so I was all over the place." While Ryan declined to compare Pryor to any current NFL safety something that has gotten the coach in some trouble in the past the first-rounder said he might be similar to Chancellor and Tampa Bay's Dashon Goldson. "They're big-time hitters," Pryor said. "And they're asked to do a lot." NEWSDAY Jets draft safety Calvin Pryor (Kimberley Martin) Newsday FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - Rex Ryan has a brand-new toy. The Jets' coach was all smiles Thursday night as he sat alongside general manager John Idzik. Despite the team's needs at wide receiver, Idzik & Co. chose to go defense in the first round, selecting hard-hitting safety Calvin Pryor. "This young man plays like a Jet," Ryan said of the former Louisville standout. "We pride ourselves on being a physical football team... This young man is an enforcer." Ryan first became aware of Pryor through Idzik, who walked away impressed after attending a Louisville game this past fall. "[He told me] 'I just saw a guy that you're going to love,' " Ryan recalled of Idzik's first comments about Pryor. The Jets made several school visits to Louisville and brought in Pryor for a visit. As he walked through the halls of the Jets' facility, he got the feeling the organization was high on him. Pryor said Ryan told him "I was their guy'' and that he fit into their defensive scheme. Said Idzik: "Obviously, we're very excited with our first-round pick, Calvin Pryor. He fits us. He fits our profile... He just plays like a Jet." 3 P a g e

4 Pryor started 32 of 38 games at free safety for Louisville, recording 218 tackles and two sacks. In the past two seasons, he had 175 tackles, five interceptions, 11 passes defensed and seven forced fumbles. "I've always been a hard hitter,'' said Pryor, who said he models his game after Seattle's Kam Chancellor and Tampa Bay's Dashon Goldson. Pryor's physical style certainly will add some swag to the back end of Ryan's defense, but he said he's just concentrating on making the most of his opportunity and being a good teammate. Asked about adjusting to the NFL, Pryor simply said: "Every team has a receiver or tight end that is a tough matchup. But I look forward to the competition.'' Despite all the chatter about trading up, Idzik stayed true to his character. He was steady, deliberate and practical -- and, above all, stuck to his board. Although Johnny Manziel still was available, Idzik stuck to his plan at No. 18. "Once he was available," Idzik said of Pryor, the Jets knew they had their man. So for the fifth straight season, the Jets took a defensive player in the first round. The trend began in 2010 with the selection of Kyle Wilson and continued with Muhammad Wilkerson (2011), Quinton Coples (2012) and Dee Milliner and Sheldon Richardson (2013). Within the first few minutes of Round 1, the Jets' needs in the defensive backfield became even more glaring. The Bills moved up from No. 9 to the fourth overall spot -- which had belonged to the Browns -- in order to steal the best receiver of the bunch, Sammy Watkins. Buffalo surrendered its first- and fourth-round picks in 2015 just to move up five spots for Watkins, who is considered a game-changer. The Giants snatched up Odell Beckham Jr. -- a receiver Jets fans had been eyeing for their own roster -- with the 12th pick. Though wideouts Brandin Cooks and Marqise Lee still were on the board, the Jets chose to bolster their defense. But instead of taking a cornerback such as Michigan State's Darqueze Dennard, they picked up a safety to join Antonio Allen and Dawan Landry. "This young man's got plenty of cover skills, range, hands for the interception," Ryan said. "... He can play deep, he can play up. And when we all looked at him and evaluated him, we all knew he could play for us." Pryor is a thumper, similar to former Jet LaRon Landry (Dawan's brother). But the Jets aren't worried about his long-term durability. "That hasn't been his history," Idzik said, referring to injuries. "He usually inflicts it rather than receives it." Geno Smith says he's looking forward to competing with Michael Vick (Marc Raimondi) Newsday Geno Smith doesn't believe he's the starting quarterback of the Jets. He doesn't plan to act as if he is, either. "I want to take every single rep as if I'm trying to make the team," Smith said Thursday night at MetLife Stadium during the Jets' draft party for season-ticket holders. "I have a lot to prove to myself, to my teammates, to these coaches. That's the way I see it." Smith started all 16 games in his rookie season after Mark Sanchez was injured in the preseason. The Jets signed Michael Vick in March, presumably to compete with Smith for the job, but Vick told NJ.com earlier this week that there won't be any competition. 4 P a g e

5 "Geno's the starting quarterback for that football team," Vick said. "Ultimately, our goal is to try to help Geno become the best quarterback that he can be." Vick said as recently as January that he still feels as if he's a starter in the NFL. Smith thinks that, too. "I look forward to competing with him, as I stated," Smith said. "Mike is a guy I feel can play in this league for many more years to come, and he's proven it. I'm only trying to get to the point where he was, where he's proven it: experience in playoff games where he's doing well. And that's the position I want to get to. That's something I think he can help me grow into and learn. We're going to help one another." Jets offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg said last week that Smith will get "a few more reps" than Vick with the first team in minicamp and implied that there indeed will be a competition. Said Smith, "As I always state, I'm going to compete as if I'm the last guy on the depth chart trying to make the team, because I believe that's what's gotten me here." THE RECORD Jets take safety Calvin Pryor at No. 18 (J.P. Pelzman) The Record May 9, FLORHAM PARK After seeing a prospect in action last season, Jets general manager John Idzik told Rex Ryan, I just saw a guy you re going to absolutely love. As you probably can guess, that collegian did not play offense. He is Louisville free safety Calvin Pryor, whom the Jets selected with the 18th overall pick in the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday night. They didn t pick a cornerback or a wide receiver, despite those being two positions of extreme need. They also passed on free-falling Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel, who eventually went to Cleveland with the 22nd selection. We won t get into who was a consideration, Idzik said when asked if the Jets seriously considered other players besides Pryor at 18. Suffice it to say we stuck to our philosophy. We stuck to our board and Calvin was our guy. The Jets used most of their allotted time on the clock before finally submitting the pick. We ll always take the elapsed time or pretty close to it, Idzik said, just in case someone calls in and offers something that is pretty attractive. In fact, Idzik briefly excused himself from speaking with reporters to take a phone call. The overriding factor is he was the best player [available] in our eyes, Idzik said. Once he was available [at 18], it was a pretty easy pick for us. And a selection that certainly will please the defensive-minded Ryan. Pryor is considered to be an excellent all-around safety and was rated the top safety available by many experts. He is a hard hitter and is excellent in coverage. Pryor, who came out of school after his junior season, had three interceptions last season for the Cardinals and was credited with 75 tackles, including 54 solo stops. He had 5½ tackles for loss in P a g e

6 We pride ourselves in being a physical football team, Ryan said, and he fits that profile. This young man is an enforcer. Ryan referred to the hits inflicted by Seattle s defense on Denver early in the Super Bowl. You see how some of those kinds of hits and plays can impact a game? Ryan said, specifically mentioning hits by Kam Chancellor and Earl Thomas. It s how we want to play defense and we think this young man is going to step right in and fit in with the guys we already have. I felt like I fit their scheme very well, said Pryor, who named Chancellor and Tampa Bay s Dashon Goldson as two players whom he patterns his game after. [Ryan] is looking for me to make an impact right away. The Jets starting safeties last season were Dawan Landry and Antonio Allen. Allen s job would appear to be in jeopardy because of this pick. When asked about Allen, Ryan said he did a tremendous job in 2013, and that he is really looking forward to seeing what he does. When Pryor was asked if he thinks he could start immediately, he replied, My main thing is just being a great teammate and making the New York Jets roster. He had a pre-draft visit with the Jets and said he got a good vibe from Ryan. He just told me I was their guy, Pryor recalled. I fit into their scheme pretty well. I felt very confident that they were going to take me. The Jets passed on players such as Oregon State wide receiver Brandin Cooks, USC wideout Marqise Lee and Michigan State cornerback Darqueze Dennard. They need more playmakers for their offense, which struggled in And they have a vacancy at cornerback after not re-signing Antonio Cromartie, who signed with Arizona. The Jets did not sign a big-time cornerback during free agency. We re very happy to have Calvin onboard, Idzik said. STAR-LEDGER In drafting Calvin Pryor, Jets following Seahawks' blueprint (Michael Fensom) Star-Ledger May 9, t.html FLORHAM PARK -- A paradigm shift in how NFL defenses blunt high-powered passing offenses swept through the New Jersey Meadowlands three months ago. The Seattle Seahawks' crew of talented defensive backs -- collectively known as the "Legion of Boom" -- assembled an abrupt roadblock during the Super Bowl against the Denver Broncos and the most prolific passing offense in NFL history. Across the Hudson River Thursday, NFL front office executives demonstrated they had been watching that night in February. Beginning with the Cleveland Browns' selection of Justin Gilbert No. 8 overall, teams spent nine of the first round's 32 picks on defensive backs. The Jets, whose honcho regarding personnel decisions, John Idzik, helped assemble the Seahawks during six years in the club's front office, were one of the teams tracing over Seattle's blueprint. 6 P a g e

7 With the No. 18 overall selection, the Jets chose a safety, Calvin Pryor, who likened himself to Seahawks All-Pro Kam Chancellor. Rex Ryan, the Jets coach, called Pryor "an enforcer." And Idzik, in describing Pryor's knack for hovering around the football, perhaps had Seattle's other safety, Earl Thomas, in mind. "You see how some of those kind of plays and hits and everything else, how it can impact the game," Ryan said. "All you have to do is look at the Super Bowl and the play of Chancellor back there and Earl Thomas. It s how we want to play defense and I think this young man is going to step in and fit right in with the guys that we already have." The Jets will probably continue to follow the Seahawks' example Friday and Saturday as the draft continues. The Jets have 11 more draft choices and are reportedly eager to add a young cornerback or two before the weekend is over. On the flip side, general managers continued to stock their rosters with receivers quick or speedy or tall. Five wide receivers came off the board Thursday, starting when the Buffalo Bills traded to take Sammy Watkins No. 4 overall. Watkins, considered the top receiving prospect in the draft, will face the Jets twice next season and beyond. NFL Draft 2014: Jets go with defense in first round again, picking safety Calvin Pryor (Darryl Slater) Star-Ledger NEW YORK Calvin Pryor had been a member of the Jets for less than an hour, and here he was, in the bowels of Radio City Music Hall, being asked to consider the first thing that comes to mind when he thinks about this franchise. He paused for only a moment. Defense, he said. Spot-on. Lately, under defensive-minded coach Rex Ryan, the Jets have indeed built their identity around that side of the football. On Thursday night, for the fifth straight year, the Jets used their first pick in the NFL Draft on a defensive player. They have now picked six defensive players in the first round over that span, including two last year. The latest, Pryor at No. 18 on Thursday, came in a year when the Jets had glaring needs at wide receiver and cornerback. Not that their safety position looked sterling. One of their projected starting safeties, Dawan Landry, is 31 years old. The other, third-year pro Antonio Allen, remains unproven as an every-down player. Last season, the Jets signed future Hall of Famer Ed Reed midseason to replace Allen, a former seventhround pick. Reed, 35, was just so-so last year, and the Jets let him walk in free agency. Now they have decided to make another hard-hitting safety, Pryor, part of the rebuilding process for their secondary, as a likely challenger to Allen. Last season, the Jets passing defense was almost as much of a liability as their passing offense. They ranked 22nd in the NFL in passing yards allowed and 31st in passing yards gained. When the Jets pick arrived Thursday, Michigan State corner Darqueze Dennard was available. So was Oregon State receiver Brandin Cooks. Also on the board: Alabama s Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, rated by some analysts as a better safety than Pryor. 7 P a g e

8 The Jets passed on them all, in favor of Pryor, a 5-11, 207-pounder whom Ryan called an enforcer. Last season, Pryor knocked an opponent out of three consecutive games. He picked off seven passes in his three-year college career, including three last year. Before the draft, NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock called Pryor maybe most fearless defensive back I saw on tape this year. Pryor said he models his game after Seattle safety Kam Chancellor, known for his vicious, game-changing hits. As Pryor prepared for the draft, the Jets were the last visit he made. While talking with Ryan at the team s facility in Florham Park, he was able to get a read on their defense. "I felt like it fit excellent because it was something similar to what we did in college," Pryor said. Ryan said Pryor is versatile enough to play deep or close to the line. Pryor, though, acknowledged he must now demonstrate that one of his perceived weaknesses entering this draft is not so much of an issue. And the way Ryan runs his defensive scheme will allow him this opportunity. The main thing is showing people I can really play man to man, and I can match up with tight ends and slot receivers, Pryor said. He will have to do it while in a competition for playing time. When he was asked about this challenge, to battle for snaps as a rookie, Pryor offered another answer that sounded as swift as one of his hits looks. I m fine with that, he said. What does Jets' selection of Calvin Pryor mean for Antonio Allen, Jaiquawn Jarrett (Michael Fensom) Star-Ledger nio_allen_jaiquawn_jarrett.html FLORHAM PARK -- In selecting Calvin Pryor with the No. 18 pick in Thursday's NFL Draft, the Jets added another component to an expanding defensive backfield. In accord with general manager John Idzik's mantra that competition for roster spots is a key component of winning football, the Jets will let a number of players vie for playing time headed into the season. Safety is now one of those crowded positions. Dawan Landry, who rarely left the field during his first season with the Jets last year, presumably will retain a starting role though is 31 years old. (Josh Bush, in his second NFL season a year ago, functioned as Landry's backup.) That will likely leave Pryor to tussle with Antonio Allen and Jaiquawn Jarrett to grab snaps. When asked what the selection of Pryor means for Allen in particular, Rex Ryan said Thursday, "We like good football players. We will use them all." Last season, Allen's second in the NFL, he was startlingly successful at times in pass coverage -- particularly against top receiving tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Jimmy Graham -- but ultimately lost a starting role to Ed Reed at the midpoint of the season. Ryan praised Allen, whom the coach said has transitioned quicker than the Jets had expected after playing a hybrid safety-linebacker role during his college career at South Carolina. 8 P a g e

9 But ever the scientist, Ryan tinkered with defensive alignments throughout the back half of the season. He developed schemes that included three safeties, meaning that a combination of Pryor, Allen, Jarrett and Landry will certainly be on the field together at points this coming season. The varied schemes Ryan may employ seemingly shouldn't rattle Pryor. He lined up deep, as a free safety, at Louisville and started other plays stacked along the line of scrimmage. Calvin Pryor's path to Jets can be traced to October game against Blake Bortles (Michael Fensom) Star-Ledger me_against_blake_bortles.html FLORHAM PARK -- Last Oct. 18, in Louisville, Ken., Calvin Pryor s future with the Jets began to crystallize. John Idzik, the Jets general manager, watched that night as Pryor zipped around the field. Upon returning to New Jersey, Idzik interrupted Rex Ryan s preparation for an upcoming game against the New England Patriots. He said, Hey, I just saw a guy you are going to absolutely love, Ryan recalled Thursday night at Jets headquarters, shortly after the club selected Pryor with the No. 18 overall pick in the NFL Draft. Pryor left a quick impression on Idzik that night, exhibiting the attributes that led the general manager to say Thursday: He fits our profile. Specifically, Idzik pointed to the safety s ability to cover large portions of the field, leave dents in opposing players with a hard-hitting demeanor and create turnovers. Central Florida opened the game with the ball, and pushed the ball down the field against Pryor and the Louisville defense. Pryor lined up all over the field for Louisville against an offense led by Thursday s No. 3 overall pick, quarterback Blake Bortles. But on a 2nd and 10 from the UCF 29-yard line, Pryor lined up deep. Bortles dumped off a short pass and Pryor closed quickly to deliver a vicious hit along the sideline, rendering a UCF receiver motionless once he hit the ground (Video can be seen here). Idzik said the Jets were drawn to Pryor s ability to deliver big hits and do so cleanly. On this play, Pryor stuck his shoulder square into the chest of the UCF player. Big hits flip games, Ryan said Thursday. UCF s opening drive concluded in the end zone, with Pryor making a dazzling interception (Video can be seen here). Bortles heaved the ball into the corner of the end zone. Pryor leaped and reached the ball with his left hand. He hauled it into his body as he fell, and tapped his foot to secure the turnover. In addition to the highlights, though, Pryor also showed some of his weaknesses. His aggressive nature led him to over pursue a number of plays. On one occasion during that opening drive, he was on the wrong end of a big hit. After closing too fast to make a tackle, he was flattened by a UCF blocker. NFL Draft 2014: Jets' needs for Day 2 (Rounds 2 and 3) (Darryl Slater) Star-Ledger ml 9 P a g e

10 Day 1 of the NFL Draft is in the books, with the Jets having made their lone selection of the first round: Louisville safety Calvin Pryor. Here is a look at the Jets needs entering Day 2, when Rounds 2 and 3 will be selected TIGHT END Coordinator Marty Mornhinweg s West Coast offense could use another tight end to go with Jeff Cumberland since the Jets let Kellen Winslow walk in free agency. A tight end who can be a receiving threat would be ideal, to help the Jets lackluster passing game. North Carolina s Eric Ebron was unquestionably the top tight end in this draft. Now that he s gone, possible Day 2 picks include Texas Tech s Jace Amaro, who played in a pass-happy college offense, and Washington s Austin Seferian- Jenkins, who won last year s John Mackey Award as college football s top tight end, but is recovering from a foot stress fracture that required surgery. CORNERBACK Because the Jets opted not to pick a cornerback in the first round, this remains a glaring need. They released Antonio Cromartie, saw him sign with the Cardinals, and failed to sign any of the top free-agent cornerbacks available. Dee Milliner struggled at times as a rookie last year, so questions remain about whether he can be a No. 1 corner. With the top corners already gone, the Jets could be looking at taking guys such as Florida State s Lemarcus Joyner or Rice s Phillip Gaines on Day 2. WIDE RECEIVER Yes, the Jets signed the best free-agent receiver available, Eric Decker, but their passing offense still needs help. It ranked second-to-last in the NFL last season. This is a deep class of receivers, so the Jets can still get a quality player on Day 2. Potential picks include Vanderbilt s Jordan Matthews and Mississippi s Donte Moncrief. All are at least 6-foot-2 and Benjamin is 6-foot-5 and 240 pounds so they could fill the Jets need for a big, outside receiving threat. NEW YORK POST Jets select hard-hitting safety Calvin Pryor (Brian Costello) New York Post The Jets bolstered their secondary in the first round of the NFL Draft, but not at the position most people expected. Gang Green selected Louisville safety Calvin Pryor with the 18th overall pick. Pryor is a hard hitter in the mold of the Seahawks Kam Chancellor or former Patriot Rodney Harrsion. After finishing 22nd in passing defense last year, the Jets had to improve the backend of their defense but many thought it would be by taking a cornerback in the first round. Instead, they Jets went with Pryor, a player they fell in love with during the evaluation process. The thing that I m excited about is this man plays like a Jet, coach Rex Ryan said. We pride ourselves on being a physical football team. He fits that profile. This young man is an enforcer. You see some of those kinds of plays and hits and see how it impacts a game. All you have to do is look at the Super Bowl and the play of [Kam] Chancellor back there and Earl Thomas. It s how we want to play defense. I think this young man is going to step in and fit right in with the guys we already have. 10 P a g e

11 Jets general manager John Idzik saw Pryor play against Central Florida last fall, a game in which Pryor had a bone-jarring hit in as well as a one-handed interception. He came back to New Jersey and told Ryan he found a player he would love. The Jets attended Pryor s pro day and had him into their Florham Park headquarters for a visit last month. When I came in for a visit I felt I fit their scheme very well, Pryor said. Coach Rex is a defensiveminded coach and he wanted to go with a defensive guy that could help improve the secondary. He felt I was a great fit. Pryor was the highest-rated safety by most draft gurus. The Jets talked to teams about moving up in the first round, but decided to stay at 18. When the time arrived they had a choice of Pryor, cornerback Darqueze Dennard and wide receivers Brandin Cooks and Marqise Lee, all players who would have addressed a need. The Jets also could have selected Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel, a draft pick that would have brought down Radio City Music Hall but never seemed likely considering the Jets already have Geno Smith and Michael Vick at the position. We stuck to our board, Idzik said. Calvin was our guy. The 5-foot-11 Pryor slides into a Jets defense that allowed nearly 4,000 passing yards in The projected starters at safety were Dawan Landry and Antonio Allen before Thursday night. Now you have to expect Pryor to take Allen s spot, though Ryan loves to use a lot of three-safety looks. The scouting report from NFL.com s Nolan Nawrocki reads, Perhaps the most explosive hitter in this year s crop of safeties. Pryor is a big, physical hammer in the run game, bringing the ability to intimidate and erase. Factor in his instincts and range and Pryor has the ability to start as a rookie. Ryan said Pryor reminds him of a safety, but he would not name him because he didn t want Pryor to be saddled with that comparison. He surely was talking about Ed Reed, whom Ryan coached with the Ravens and late last year with the Jets. Clearly this young man we think is special, Ryan said. You take all the attributes his cover skills. Believe me, there is a huge thing with his hitting ability. Big hits still win games. They ll flip the momentum of a game faster than anything in my opinion. I ve always said that. This young man will provide that for us. The Jets have 11 picks left in the draft, including two on Friday. The Jets have needs at wide receiver, cornerback, tight end and outside linebacker. They could address any of those on Friday. NEW YORK DAILY NEWS NFL Draft: With 18th pick, NY Jets select Louisville DB Calvin Pryor (Seth Walder) New York Daily News May 9, For the fifth consecutive year, Mark Sanchez is still the last offensive player the Jets have taken in the first round of the NFL draft. The Jets stayed put Thursday and went with defense again grabbing Louisville safety Calvin Pryor with the 18th pick. In Pryor, a 5-11, 207-pound safety, Gang Green picks up a hard hitter to bolster the secondary. 11 P a g e

12 This young man is an enforcer, Rex Ryan said. He fits us, he fits our profile, GM John Idzik said. He has range, makes plays. The safety had three interceptions and forced two fumbles last season for Louisville. Pryor said he had a feeling the Jets were very interested in him and once he got by the Bears with the 14th pick, and thought he would be heading to Florham Park. As for his playing style, Pryor compared his game to Seattle s Kam Chancellor and Tampa Bay s Dashon Goldson. Growing up, I ve always been a hard hitter, Pryor said Thursday after his selection. Gang Green was expected to select a cornerback or wide receiver in the first round, but safety was one of its needs. The Jets had the 22nd-best passing defense last season, and Pryor should be able to help the worst part of Ryan s defense, the secondary. Idzik told Ryan about Pryor after watching Louisville play Central Florida in October. John had told me about Calvin during the year, Ryan recalled at Florham Park. He said, Hey, I just saw a guy that you are absolutely going to love. Evan though Pryor is a big hitter but not especially large, Idzik said he wasn t concerned about his longterm durability. No, not really, Idzik said. He usually inflicts it, instead of receives it. One area Pryor might be lacking experience in, even by Ryan s own admission, is man coverage. That s not a devastating weakness for a safety, although at times in Ryan s scheme it may be something he s called upon to play. The Jets rarely sit multiple safeties back in deep zone coverage, instead using blitzes, on which Pryor s big hits should come in handy. Pryor gets to the football in coverage as well: he nabbed seven interceptions and deflected 18 passes over his three-year career at Louisville. Before the Jets selected Pryor, Dawan Landry and Antonio Allen were their presumptive starters at safety. Landry, 31, is not a long-term solution at the position, and Allen flashed some growth in 2013 but isn t a proven talent. The Jets passed up players at other positions of need to grab Pryor. Cornerback was considered their biggest void, and the Jets could have selected Darqueze Dennard (Michigan State) with the 18th pick, and also passed on wide receivers Brandin Cooks (Oregon State) and Marqise Lee (USC). Quarterbacks Johnny Manziel (Texas A&M) and Teddy Bridgewater (Louisville) were also still on the board. The Jets began the draft with 12 picks, and though there was some speculation they might have moved up in the first round, they stayed at 18. Because of all their additional picks, the Jets certainly have the flexibility to move up in later rounds. John Idzik, Rex Ryan expecting plenty of engagement on defense from Calvin Pryor (Manish Mehta) New York Daily News May 9, Rex Ryan s defense added some nastiness to a porous secondary Thursday night thanks to a strategically sound move by general manager John Idzik. 12 P a g e

13 For all the pre-draft noise about adding weapons for Geno Smith, the Jets made the smart choice to select hard-hitting Louisville safety Calvin Pryor with the 18th pick, a move that instantly adds intimidation to a secondary that was routinely abused last season. The 5-11, 207-pound Pryor will be Ryan s Kam Chancellor or Dashon Goldson, a bone-crunching presence who can affect games one hit at a time. This young man is an enforcer, Ryan said. You see how some of those kind of plays and hits can impact a game. All you have to do is look at the Super Bowl and the play of Chancellor and Earl Thomas. Ryan s secondary was hemorrhaging for much of last season, giving up one big play after another en route to allowing 3,947 passing yards and 26 touchdowns. Although Ryan admitted that Pryor didn t play in many man cover schemes, his athleticism, range and ball skills instantly upgrade the weakest link on defense. He has the skill set to play near the line of scrimmage and play deep. When we all looked at him and evaluated him, we knew he had plenty of cover skills, Ryan said. Ryan covets cornerbacks the most, but passed on Michigan State s Darqueze Dennard, who landed in Cincinnati at No. 24, to take Pryor. Ryan s defenses are predicated on press-man corners, but Pryor s explosive hitting ability triumphed. There is a huge thing with his hitting ability, Ryan said. Big hits are going to win games. They ll flip the momentum of a game faster than anything in my opinion. I ve always said that. And this young man will provide that for us. The Jets were likely tempted to grab one of the wide receivers still on the board such as Brandin Cooks or Marqise Lee, who has not yet been drafted, but wisely addressed their cavernous hole in the secondary. After Idzik didn t sign one of the quality cornerbacks available in free agency, the back end needed to be addressed in the first round. He fits us, Idzik said of Pryor. He fits our profile. That profile may be to bring a version of Seattle s Legion of Boom secondary, the engine of the Super Bowl champions defense, to the East Coast. Pryor has the potential to provide the same intimidating presence that Chancellor does for Pete Carroll s team. Although Pryor is about 20 pounds lighter than Chancellor, he s that type of hitter, according to an NFL personnel man. He s the best safety in the draft, the personnel director said. An enforcer in the middle. It's how we want to play defense, Ryan said. Idzik admitted that he made and fielded calls for possible trades before making the easy decision to take Pryor when he was available at No. 18. Oklahoma State cornerback Justin Gilbert would have been the dream pick, but Ryan s protégé, Mike Pettine, scooped him up at No. 8 after the Browns made a couple trades in the first hour of the draft. Virginia Tech cornerback Kyle Fuller, perhaps the most versatile player at his position in this draft, was taken by the Bears at No. 14. That left Pryor, Dennard and Alabama safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix as arguably the top three available defensive backs. The Jets made the right call to draft their fifth consecutive defensive player in the first round rather than supplement the offense. 13 P a g e

14 Their desperate need in the secondary coupled with the fact that this is the deepest wide receiver draft in memory made it wise to take the defensive playmaker on Thursday night. Plenty of quality pass catchers should be available in the second and third rounds. It made perfect sense to bolster the secondary and put the onus on Ryan s defense each week rather than leave that group exposed and put the pressure on a second-year quarterback who is still finding his way. The Jets may be more diversified on offense than the ground-and-pound teams from yesteryear, but Ryan s teams will always lean on defense to win games. He s looking for me to make an impact right away, Pryor said. Idzik and Ryan were looking for a game- changer and difference-maker to help a team that isn t that far away from returning to the playoffs. They may have just found one. NEW YORK TIMES Jets Select a Safety From Louisville (Ben Shpigel) New York Times FLORHAM PARK, N.J. Divining the Jets draft objectives under General Manager John Idzik has become an annual guessing game, as much because of his guarded approach as the state of their roster. It is more likely that a magician would reveal the secret to his tricks than Idzik would divulge a hint about his intentions for a team that, despite a strong finish to last season, very much remains in transition. The Jets have needs, many of them, and with the 18th overall pick Thursday night Idzik could have addressed any of at least five positions and he did. But instead of taking a playmaking receiver or a shutdown cornerback, the Jets grabbed a safety, Calvin Pryor of Louisville, to bolster a secondary that endured a miserable 2013 season. He fits us, Idzik said. He fits our profile. He s a physical presence on the field. By choosing Pryor, listed at 5-foot-11, 207 pounds, the Jets continued a trend that preceded Idzik but not their defensive-minded coach, Rex Ryan. For the fifth consecutive year, the Jets used their firstround selection on a defensive player. Pryor, though, is the first safety. At Louisville he earned a reputation for being a ferocious hitter, and Pryor said Thursday night that he admired two other punishing safeties, Kam Chancellor of Seattle and Dashon Goldson of Tampa Bay. Idzik led a Jets contingent that traveled to his Oct. 18 game against Central Florida, when Pryor intercepted a pass in the end zone. Upon his return to Jets headquarters, Idzik told Ryan, I just saw a guy that you re going to absolutely love. Idzik was right, Ryan said. This young man is an enforcer, Ryan said Thursday night, adding: Big hits still win games. They ll flip the momentum of a game faster than anything, in my opinion. Despite Idzik s insistence to the contrary, this is a critical draft for him and the Jets. With the exception of Eric Decker, Idzik has refrained from doling out lucrative free-agent contracts, preferring to overhaul the roster through the draft. He stockpiled picks, 12 in all, the team s most since P a g e

15 Asked last week whether he expected their first few picks to become immediate starters, Idzik demurred. Would we like rookies to come in and have an immediate impact? Of course we would, he said then. But we also have a pretty good roster that they re competing against, too. In the case of Pryor, the Jets have only one established safety, Dawan Landry, and two others Antonio Allen and Jaiquawn Jarrett who split playing time. When their turn came up, the Jets had plenty of appealing options, especially at their most glaring offensive need, receiver: Brandin Cooks of Oregon State and Marqise Lee of Southern California. With the draft lush with receivers, the Jets most likely felt that they could find an impact player in the second or third round, and even into the final day on Saturday. WALL STREET JOURNAL Jets Use First-Round Pick on Safety Calvin Pryor (Stu Woo) Wall Street Journal Y_Sports_LEFTTopStories&mg=reno64- wsj&url=http%3a%2f%2fonline.wsj.com%2farticle%2fsb html%3Fmod%3DWSJ_NY_Sports_LEFTTopStories FLORHAM PARK, N.J. The sexy pick would have been a wide receiver. The Jets this off-season had already signed quarterback Michael Vick, running back Chris Johnson and receiver Eric Decker. One fast, young receiver might have completed a potent offense. But this is a Rex Ryan team. Defense comes first, and Ryan had an obvious hole. So with the 18th overall pick of the NFL Draft Thursday night, Ryan's team chose Calvin Pryor, a free safety from Louisville. It marked the second straight year the Jets took a defensive back with their first draft pick, after selecting Alabama cornerback Dee Milliner in "He was the best player in our eyes," said general manager John Idzik. "Once he was available, it was a pretty easy pick for us." The Jets used up almost all of their 10 minutes to make the pick; Idzik said they entertained trade offers from other teams. In the end, taking Pryor was the safe choice, the antithesis of what they could have done like drafting Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Johnny Manziel, who was still available when the Jets chose, or a bevy of fast wideouts. Pryor is a shrewd selection for several reasons. The Jets last year ranked 22nd in pass defense, surrendering 247 yards a game. Their cornerbacks, Milliner and Antonio Cromartie, were among the worst in the league, and the safety tandem of Dawan Landry and the second-year Antonio Allen, who was later replaced by midseason-signing Ed Reed, wasn't effective either. And in drafting Pryor, Idzik, in his second year running the Jets front office, appears to be replicating a strategy from his previous employer, the Seahawks. Seattle won the Super Bowl this year with the league's best defense and a relatively conservative offense that ranked just 18th in yards a game. Pryor is a 5-foot-11, 207-pound free safety originally from Port St. Joe, a city of 3,500 residents on the Florida panhandle. Speaking to reporters Thursday night, he said he wasn't heavily recruited for college 15 P a g e

16 football, in part because his hometown was so small and in part because he was busy also playing basketball, as a point guard, and baseball, as a center fielder. In his three seasons at Louisville, he recorded 218 tackles, caused nine fumbles and intercepted seven passes. "This young man plays like a Jet," Ryan said. "We pride ourselves in being a physical football team and he fits that profile. This young man is an enforcer." Pryor, 21, said he prides himself on punishing opposing ball carriers. "Growing up, I was always a hard hitter," he said. The Jets have 11 picks left in the draft, which will hold its final six rounds on Friday and Saturday. Team needs include a fast receiver or a pass-catching tight end, a cornerback, or an offensive guard. The Jets have 11 picks left in the draft, which will hold its final six rounds on Friday and Saturday. Team needs include a fast receiver or a pass-catching tight end, a cornerback, or an offensive guard. ESPN NEW YORK Jets hope Pryor not a 'fine' choice (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York May 9, FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Asked to compare himself to a safety in the NFL, Calvin Pryor named two -- Kam Chancellor and Dashon Goldson, both big hitters. In Goldson's case, he sometimes crosses the line, resulting in nearly $500,000 in fines for illegal hits. In the new NFL, tightly governed by the safety-conscious league office, Pryor could be a marked man because of his physical style of play. Rex Ryan called him an "enforcer." ESPN analyst and former NFL executive Bill Polian said Pryor "brings a lot of wood." Said Pryor: "I feel like I've always been a hard hitter." General manager John Idzik insisted he's not concerned. "I guess you would rather have that problem, a hitter that you would have to idle back a little bit -- and I don't think he's going to have to idle at all," Idzik said. "He'll learn technique at this level. In viewing his tape, when he gets the impact hits, they aren't illegal hits, they're just hard hits. We like having that style of play on our side." Long-term durability also could be an issue. After all, he's only 5-foot-11, 207 pounds. "He usually inflicts it instead of receives it," Idzik said. "Some guys are just thin. When you look at his body type, his build, he's a nice sturdy, thick frame, so the measurables don't always tell the story. It's really his flection, his ability to uncoil and the thickness, in particular his lower body. So, we don't have a concern that way." Idzik scouted Pryor in person during the season and attended his pro day, as did Ryan. Pryor also made a pre-draft visit to the Jets' facility. 16 P a g e

17 "When I came in for a visit, I felt like I fit their scheme very well," Pryor said. "Coach is a very defensiveminded coach and he wanted to go with a defensive guy that could help improve the secondary, and he felt like I was a great fit." Indeed, this marked the fifth straight year in which the Jets picked defense in the first round. Pryor is the fourth defensive back they've taken in the first round since 2007, joining Darrelle Revis, Kyle Wilson and Dee Milliner. Pryor was widely projected as a mid-first-round pick. There was talk about the Chicago Bears taking him at 14, maybe the Dallas Cowboys at 16, maybe the Baltimore Ravens at 17. "Once the Jets came [on the clock]," he said, "I felt very confident they were going to take me and I was their guy." With Pryor, Jets try to copy Seattle's best (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York May 9, FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Three months after he rocked Demaryius Thomas in Super Bowl XLVIII, Kam Chancellor's big hit still was reverberating in the state of New Jersey -- specifically, in the New York Jets' draft room. On Thursday night, the Jets used their first-round pick on safety Calvin Pryor, in part, because he reminds them of Chancellor, the Seattle Seahawks' sledgehammer. The NFL is a copy-cat league, as we all know, and general manager John Idzik -- a former Seahawks executive -- wants to incorporate Seattle's best into his own team. Commenting on Pryor, Rex Ryan mentioned the Seahawks' stud safety tandem, Chancellor and Earl Thomas, specifically noting Chancellor's tone-setting tackle from the Super Bowl. Ryan is an old-school defensive coach, and he still gets amped by rock 'em, sock 'em football -- an element that was missing last season in his secondary. "You can see how those plays and those hits can impact a game," Ryan said. "All you have to do is look at the Super Bowl, the play of Chancellor back there and Earl Thomas. It's how we want to play defense.... Big hits win games. They'll flip the momentum of a game faster than anything, in my opinion." Pryor is a good prospect, a solid value at 18, but was he the best choice for the Jets? They should've taken Darqueze Dennard, the best man-to-man cornerback in the draft. The Jets are shy on talent at cornerback, and that's a concern because Ryan's defense relies on cornerback play. At least they didn't go for a wide receiver at 18; that would've been a reach. Quarterback Johnny Manziel still was on the board, but they didn't want to buy a ticket to that circus. So, in a surprise, the Jets went for the safety, an indication Ryan is catching up to the rest of the NFL. Previously, he never placed a high value on safeties, preferring the front office spend the big bucks on the corners. Under Ryan, they've filled the safety spots with modestly priced free agents and low draft picks. The biggest splurge came in 2012, when they gave LaRon Landry a one-year contract for $3.5 million. Now they have a Landry-type safety in Pryor, who isn't the biggest (5-foot-11, 207 pounds) or the fastest (4.58 in the 40) but provides a physical presence in the secondary. He's not exactly what they need P a g e