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          New York Jets

          Total breakdown: Jets draft QB Bryce Petty in fourth round

          • Rich Cimini, ESPN Staff WriterMay 2, 2015, 05:16 PM
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              Rich Cimini is a staff writer who covers the New York Jets and the NFL at ESPN. Rich has covered the Jets for over 30 years, joining ESPN in 2010. Rich also hosts the Flight Deck podcast. He previously was a beat writer for the New York Daily News and is a graduate of Syracuse University. You can follow him via Twitter @RichCimini.
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          FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- A few thoughts on the New York Jets' fourth-round pick:

          The pick: Bryce Petty, QB, Baylor

          My take: No surprise at all. The Jets, looking for a long-term answer at the position, wanted to bring a young quarterback into the program. By waiting until the fourth round (the Jets actually traded up one spot), you're basically throwing darts. Petty is a major project -- hardly a sure thing -- but he provides a potential alternative to Geno Smith.

          Not NFL-ready: Petty needs a lot of work. Even though he posted eye-popping numbers in Baylor's spread offense (61 touchdowns, 10 interceptions in two years as the starter), it came in a system that bears no resemblance to an NFL offense. It was an up-tempo, no-huddle attack that required very little reading of defenses. In fact, Petty took only 48 snaps under center last season (only five pass attempts). Much like Smith, who came out of a spread offense in 2013, Petty will have to learn the basic fundamentals -- i.e., how to call plays in a huddle, how to take five- and seven-step drops and how to read coverages. At the Senior Bowl, he struggled under center and reading defenses.

          Petty, 23, six years removed from high school, won't be ready to compete until 2016, if then. On the positive side, he has strong intangibles and throws a good deep ball. He led the FBS last season with 20 touchdowns on passes thrown 20 yards or longer, including 13 that were 30 yards or longer.

          Should Geno be worried? Yes, but he should be concerned by Ryan Fitzpatrick, not Petty. If Smith loses his starting job this season -- a distinct possibility -- it'll be to Fitzpatrick, a savvy if not strong-armed veteran who already knows Chan Gailey's system.

          Let's face it: If Smith still hasn't solidified his standing by the end of the year, he might not be around to compete with Petty. The Jets' new regime has an odd way of evaluating quarterbacks. It didn't consider Marcus Mariota worthy of a top-10 pick, yet its grade on Petty was so high that it felt compelled to trade up one spot. It smells of desperation.