Howard Dyer was selected by the New York Titans, who later became the Jets. The VMI quarterback was drafted in the 24th round. If you buy something through the recommended links in this article, Microsoft and its partners may be rewarded. Sandy Stephens was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame for his performance at Minnesota. He was the first player from North Carolina State University to be so honored.
The Jets traded their third-round pick (81st overall) and sixth-round pick (181st overall) to the Seattle Seahawks for QB Ryan Leaf and a seventh-round pick (217th overall). Leaf lasted one season in New York before being suspended for the 1999 campaign for violating the terms of his contract. He died in May 2013 at the age of 28. If you sell products through any of the links below, we may receive a small commission. This is how we support our site!
There were no Virginia players chosen in the 1998 NFL Draft. However, Tony Banks was signed as an undrafted free agent by the San Francisco 49ers. He went on to play nine seasons in the NFL, including five with the Atlanta Falcons. In 2004, he was part of the Philadelphia Eagles team that won the Super Bowl. Banks finished his career with the Detroit Lions in 2009.
The last Virginia player to be drafted into the NFL was LB Sandy Stephens. He was picked up by the Jets after they acquired him from the Titans.
The Jets have signed offensive tackle Morgan Moses. After seven seasons with the Washington Football Team, Moses (6-6, 330) was released in May. Washington chose him in the third round out of Virginia, and he appeared in 104 games, starting 97 of them. He's expected to provide depth at a position that has been hit hard by injuries this year.
Moses was one of several Redskins players accused of stealing signs during last season's playoffs against Seattle. The accusations caused coach Jay Gruden to be fired, and GM Scot McCloughan to be relieved of his duties as well. Neither Moses nor the team have commented on the matter since it happened. It's possible that this move is part of an effort by the Jets to get more information about what happened in D.C..
Moses started 51 games over seven seasons with the Redskins. He was rated as Pro Football Focus' No. 3 overall guard when they issued their grades for this year's free agency class.
The Jets signed left tackle Kelvin Beachum and center Spencer Pulley earlier this week. They also have former Texans quarterback Brock Osweiler and running back Lamar Miller on their roster. This seems like a clear indication that second-year head coach Adam Gase wants to bring a competitive edge to the locker room while still keeping a close eye on football management practices.
14 New York Jets (via Minnesota Vikings): B- OT-OG USC's Alijah Vera-Tucker— The consensus throughout the draft season was that the Jets would choose a quarterback in the second round and either an edge rusher or a blocker with their second first-round pick. They chose the former/later, moving up from No. 23 to ensure they got their guy. Tucker is expected to compete for the starting left guard job immediately.
13 New York Giants: A- WR-HB Georgia's Riley Ridley - The Giants needed help at wide receiver and decided to take one early in Ridley. He should provide depth behind Evan Engram and Sterling Shepard and also serve as a punt returner if the Giants decide to use him there.
12 Buffalo Bills: A- CB-S Florida State's Trevon Diggs - The Bills addressed their need at cornerback by selecting Diggs. He should compete for the starting free safety job right away.
11 Miami Dolphins: A- T-G Alabama's Jedrick Wills Jr. - The Dolphins needed help on the offensive line and selected the best available player, which turned out to be G Wills. He should compete for the starting center job this summer.
10 New England Patriots: A- QB-CB Texas Tech's Chris Harris Jr. - The Patriots needed a playmaker at cornerback and drafted one in Harris. He should compete for the starting spot right away.
Drew Bledsoe, quarterback, says The New England Patriots selected Washington State quarterback Drew Bledsoe with the first overall choice in the draft. This draft included future Hall of Famers Willie Roaf, Jerome Bettis, Michael Strahan, and Will Shields. Bledsoe went on to become a two-time Super Bowl champion with New York/New England.
Bledsoe played 11 seasons in the NFL. He started for the Patriots from 1994-1997 before being replaced by Tom Brady. Bledsoe then had another successful season with New York/New England before being injured in the third game of 1998. He was replaced by Brady for the rest of the season.
Brady has gone on to start for New England since then and is considered one of the best quarterbacks of all time. In 2011, Bledsoe announced his retirement from football after suffering multiple neck injuries during his career. He finished his NFL career with 220 victories against only 76 losses.
Bledsoe's selection came as a surprise to many because he was not expected to last this long in the draft process. However, team president Jonathan Kraft said they knew immediately when they saw Bledsoe on the screen that he was the guy they wanted with the first pick.
The Patriots of New England The New York Jets sent defensive end Leonard Williams to the New York Giants in exchange for a 2020 third-round pick and a conditional fifth-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. In exchange for lineman Alex Lewis, the Jets sent a seventh-round pick to the Baltimore Ravens. The trade was confirmed by both teams on October 30, 2019.
Leonard Williams is a defensive end who played for the Jets from 2012 to 2019. Before joining the Jets, he spent four seasons with the USC Trojans. During his time at USC, he recorded 55 tackles and 9 sacks.
In 2012, when he was a rookie, Williams started all 16 games and had 51 tackles and 6 sacks. In 2013, he started 15 of 16 games and had 57 tackles and 5 sacks. In 2014, he started 13 of 14 games and had 49 tackles and 5 sacks. In 2015, he started 12 of 13 games and had 47 tackles and 5 sacks. In 2016, he started 11 of 12 games and had 45 tackles and 4 sacks. In 2017, he started 7 of 8 games before missing two games due to a suspension. He finished the season with 38 tackles and 3 sacks. In 2018, he started 13 of 14 games before suffering a torn meniscus in his left knee. He returned in time for the playoffs and helped the Jets win their first Super Bowl title.
Webb joined the Jets' practice squad on Tuesday. The Giants released Webb after selecting him in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft. In his senior season at California, he completed 62 percent of his throws for 4,295 yards, 37 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions.
Webb is the second former Giant to join the Jets' roster this year. Cornerback DeAndre Baker came over from New England. The two teams also had trade talks about sending Baker to New York before they reached an agreement that sent him to New Jersey instead.
Webb was drafted by New York in 2016 but didn't play as a rookie because of a hamstring injury. He returned to action last season and caught four passes for 49 yards and a touchdown.
The 25-year-old will provide depth at wide receiver behind starters Quincy Enunwa and Jermaine Kearse. Enunwa is nursing a shoulder injury and won't be available for Week 1 against Buffalo. Kearse is recovering from a groin injury that kept him out of all preseason games.
Webb has appeared in 51 games over the past three seasons and recorded 515 receiving yards and three TDs. He spent time this offseason with the Patriots and Giants, working out during free agency and training camps.
He went to Cal after playing just one season at Maryland.
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