Months of scouting, interviews, and endless hours of watching tape reach a crescendo in the form of the NFL Draft.
Scouting is an art. Identifying a future NFL superstar and believing in their talent enough to pound the draft room table is a skill that only few can claim to have excelled at, particularly when decisions made in the draft may affect a franchise - positively or negatively - for years to come.
New York Jets executive Phil Savage, who began scouting in 1994, spent nine seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, helping the team win the Super Bowl as he played a key role in the drafting of Hall of Fame inductees, Jonathan Ogden, Ray Lewis and Ed Reed. Each of the 32 NFL franchises is hoping to find key contributors and franchise cornerstones when the draft rolls around, and Savage delivered for the Jets in 2022.
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Savage selected Defensive Rookie of the Year Sauce Gardner and Offensive Rookie of the Year Garrett Wilson along with Jermaine Johnson and Breece Hall in what has the potential to be a legendary 2022 NFL Draft class for the team. Wilson and Gardner’s success marked just the third time in NFL history a franchise has claimed both honours in the same year.
“What makes the process more enjoyable is when you have some success with the players that you choose, and then you see them come to life for your particular team,” Savage exclusively told Mirror Sport. “It was pretty rare to have four picks in the top 40 of a draft. It’s a bit uncommon, but we got it done and we realized it should give us some momentum moving forward.
“When you get that calibre of talent on your field, in a Sauce Gardner, Garrett Wilson, Jermaine Johnson, Breece Hall, the coaching staff can go to the practice field and use them as examples. You want to see a real NFL defensive end? Go watch Jermaine. You want to see one of the best corners in the NFL? Go down there and study Sauce.
“A picture's worth 1000 words, and to get a visual of those kinds of players can really give you a prototype vision of what that prospect is supposed to look like in the NFL.”
Both Sauce Gardner and Jermaine Johnson have established themselves as high-end starters for the New York Jets defence (Getty Images)But Savage must be mindful of his selections as he enters his sixth season with the Jets. The four home runs he hit in 2022 in Gardner, Wilson, Johnson, and Hall, have appeared to be particularly successful because not only do the quartet dominate on the field, but they have the personality and demeanour to thrive in the New York market.
“In my view, playing for the New York Jets is different than playing for the Tennessee Titans,” Savage suggested. “When you think New York, you think London, Paris, Los Angeles, Beijing - you’re talking about some of the biggest epicenter cities in the world, and New York is one of them.
“I think there’s something to the fact that if a player for the Jets, particularly first-rounders or high-profile positions, has pizzazz or flair, it plays well in the New York market because of the reach the city has. Sauce Gardner with his smile, mentality, temperament and personality has been an ideal fit for the Jets. Garrett is very similar, as is Breece and Jermaine. I would definitely say it’s a thing and it’s something I’ve been mindful of being here at the Jets.
“There’s definitely a difference between playing in New York compared to other cities around the NFL.”
Phil Savage is looking to add to his impressive record of selecting premier talent in the NFL (New York Jets)When the Jets are on the clock come Thursday, Savage and the wider collection of front office and coaching staff will be under pressure to deliver the passionate Gang Green fanbase a new star both on and off the field. But mainly on.
Savage will turn to his wealth of experience and months upon months of traversing the country to watch prospects throughout the college season to inform his opinion. He believes each of the scouting team’s biases, backgrounds and experiences allow for a full 360-degree evaluation of prospects before coordinating - and jostling - to ensure the draft board is set.
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“We definitely scrimmage as a staff, so to speak, in terms of when we're trying to rank the players between starters, potential starters, backups, undrafted free agent guys,” Savage added. “But evaluating the players is one thing and picking the players is a whole other branch of this draft journey. I call it the magic or the art of the draft - it’s being able to figure out who is going to be available to us at 10.
“Should we move up? Should we move back? Is there greater value in picking where we are or sliding back, collecting more picks and taking another prospect? Those are the debates that have certainly taken place, particularly over these last few weeks.”
The Jets - who are slated to pick 10th - will find out their NFL Draft destiny this week. The 2024 NFL Draft is live in Detroit from 25-27 April.
To keep updated on the latest New York Jets news and to hear about their upcoming activities, please visit and . Follow them on social platforms @NYJets and @NYJetsinUK on X and @nyjets and @newyorkjetsinuk on Instagram.
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