Geno Smith might believe he has the capabilities to become a Pro Bowl quarterback, but it is clear the New York Jets do not share the same feelings. The quarterback is back as the starter after replacing Michael Vick, but it is much of the same for the Jets as the losing continues. Sitting at 2-11 on the season, the Jets are now in competition for the best draft pick which they are targeting a quarterback with.
New York is currently tied with four other teams for the worst record in the NFL. That might be good if the Jets do not win another game. However, if everyone stays with just two losses, the Jets will actually be fourth on that list when strength of schedule gets factored in. Sure the Jets save themselves the embarrassment of earning the No. 1 overall draft pick as the worst team in the NFL, but it could also leave them out of the running for their two top quarterback prospects, Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota.
When considering the other teams that will be in the running for the top pick, at least two of them need a quarterback. The Jacksonville Jaguars and Oakland Raiders appear content with Blake Bortles and Derek Carr respectively, but the Tennessee Titans and Tampa Bay Buccaneers both need quarterbacks and will likely hold two of the top spots ahead of the Jets. That means both Mariota and Winston could be gone fast. Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News reports that the Jets ideally want to draft one of those two quarterbacks, but will not tank the final three games in order to do so.
So who does New York look towards if both Winston and Mariota are off the market? Smith believes he still has a shot at being the top quarterback of the franchise. In regards to his contract, he will likely stay put on the roster, but will once again be in competition to start. According to Smith, if he can get consistency then he has a solid chance at being a top quarterback in the NFL.
"I've shown flashes of being a Pro Bowl-caliber quarterback, but what we're looking for here is consistency. The best teams have consistent quarterback play and I realize that and that's truly what I want to show to the fans and everyone outside the building," Smith said, via Newsday. "If anyone wants to know if I'm the future or the franchise [quarterback], you can just look at the way I've handled myself in the face of adversity. Success is easy to handle at times, but I think the true test of a man is how he handles himself when things aren't going as well."