Mark Sanchez Ranked as Worst Draft Pick by Jets Since 2006

Former New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez was ranked as the Jets worst draft pick since 2006 by PFF despite leading the Jets to two AFC Championship games

The Jets have developed a reputation around the league over the years for making the wrong decisions in the draft, particularly when it comes to selecting quarterbacks in the first round. 

Zach Wilson has been tasked with reversing that narrative as he gets set to lead the Jets offense in his rookie season. His predecessor, Sam Darnold, serves as the most recent failure on draft day, never coming close to living up to his third overall selection in a green and white uniform. 

However, there was another Gang Green choice deemed even worse by Pro Football Focus. Looking at every NFL franchise’s worst pick since 2006, Michael Renner argued that label ought to belong to Mark Sanchez. 

Darnold certainly was a major disappointment, but April’s trade with the Carolina Panthers lessened the blow a bit. New York received a haul in exchange for a quarterback who showed no signs of being a NFL-caliber starter, receiving a second, fourth, and sixth rounder. 

There was no such silver lining for Sanchez, who the Jets moved up 12 spots to select fifth overall in 2009. Gang Green surrendered a first and second round pick, safety Abram Elam, defensive end Kenyon Coleman, and quarterback Brett Ratliff. 

The former USC star certainly wasn’t worth the sacrifice. He only started four seasons for New York, throwing a combined 69 interceptions. The Long Beach native’s best season was 2011, the only campaign where his QBR reached 50, considered the marker of not a Pro Bowler, but an average quarterback. 

Despite Sanchez’s tremendous struggles, New York reached back-to-back AFC Championship games during his tenure, including a victory in the playoffs over Tom Brady and the Patriots in New England. However, this had far less to do with Sanchez, and more to do with the excellent team assembled around him during that period. 

It’s easy to wonder whether the Jets could have won it all with even a slightly better quarterback at the helm. Unfortunately, fans have been forced to consider what ifs like this one over and over again, as the team has failed to reach the playoffs since that second AFC Championship appearance. 

Is Wilson the key to ending the drought? The Jets faithful will simply have to wait and see. 

MORE: 

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• Jets to Practice With Packers During Training Camp
• Reasonable Expectations For Zach Wilson's Rookie Year

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