 |
 |
 |
|
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- The New York Jets moved up in the first round and snatched the shutdown cornerback they coveted.
The Jets traded their first-round pick -- No. 25 overall -- to Carolina for the Panthers' first-rounder (No. 14) and selected Pittsburgh cornerback Darrelle Revis on Saturday.
| Advertisement |
|||
| |||
"My first reaction was, I just started crying," Revis said on a conference call. "It was something that I dreamed about my whole life and now it's here."
New York also gave Carolina a second-rounder (No. 59) and a fifth-rounder (No. 164) in this year's draft, and received the Panthers' sixth-round choice (No. 191).
"As a player and as a person, we think he's a good fit," general manager Mike Tannenbaum said.
The Jets also moved up in the second round, acquiring Green Bay's pick (No. 47) and using it to select Michigan linebacker David Harris and addressing another area of concern.
With the deals, the Jets were left with just a sixth-rounder and a seventh-rounder. If New York makes no additional moves, the four draft selections would be the team's fewest ever.
"I'm very comfortable getting Darrelle Revis in the first and David Harris in the second and understand that we had to pay a price to get them," Tannebaum said. "We were willing to pay the price."
Revis should immediately fill one of the Jets' biggest needs. Veteran Andre Dyson started every game at left cornerback until he was injured in Week 15, but the right side was a different story. Justin Miller, David Barrett, Hank Poteat and rookie Drew Coleman all took turns in the starting lineup.
While all return, none is viewed as a long-term solution. Revis could be. He played left cornerback before moving to the right side last season as a junior.
"He's a good player with a lot of ability, so we'll try him at different spots and see where he fits," coach Eric Mangini said. "His athleticism and the things that he brings to the table in terms of his overall style of play could work on either side."
The 5-foot-11, 204-pound Revis is a versatile player, something Tannenbaum and Mangini covet, and could serve as the Jets' punt returner.
"We looked at a lot of different scenarios throughout the week," Mangini said. "We felt like this was a really good situation for us and we're really excited about Darrelle and looking forward to getting him here to start working."