Usually, each team gets one pick in every round of the NFL Draft. Through trades, teams can often accumulate two picks in a round, but very rarely three. Only 22 times since 1941 (and just six times since the turn of the century) has a team amassed three selections in the all-important first round. Even more so, just once has a team hoarded four picks in the first round: the 2000 New York Jets.
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They were able to build up such a stack of first-rounders through two trades. They moved their No. 1 overall pick from the 1996 draft—mercurial two-time Pro Bowl wideout Keyshawn Johnson—to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for two first-rounders. The Bucs would go on to win the Super Bowl two years later with Johnson playing a key role.
Their fourth first-rounder was acquired after a peculiar snafu involving Bill Belichick. Under contract with the Jets since 1997, Belichick moved to the New England Patriots in 2000. Head coach Bill Parcells and the Jets rightly claimed he was still under contract with N.Y., so the league forced the Pats to give New York a first-rounder for the right to sign Belichick.
Once again, the team New York traded with won a Super Bowl (in this case, six). But that doesn’t mean the Jets wasted these picks. Far from it.
In 2000, they had four chances to hit, and believe it or not, you could argue they hit on all four.
Jets drafted 4 quality starters in 1st round of 2000 NFL Draft
In a first round that had 14 future Pro Bowlers, the Jets nabbed two. Their first pick at No. 12, the one they got through the Patriots deal, was used on defensive end Shaun Ellis. He played 11 years for the Jets as a stalwart on the defensive line, earning Pro Bowls in 2003 and 2009. He sits second on the Jets’ all-time sack list, with 72.5 QB takedowns.
With the very next pick at No. 13—the first from the Keyshawn Johnson deal—they selected another defensive end. This time it was John Abraham, who went on to be a three-time All-Pro and five-time Pro Bowler in the NFL.
He stayed with the Jets from 2000-2006, earning three of those Pro Bowls. He also earned a First-Team All-Pro nod in 2001 thanks to 13.0 sacks and a league-leading six forced fumbles. His 53.5 sacks for the Jets rank third on the all-time franchise list. His 133.5 career sacks rank him tied for 18th on the unofficial all-time NFL sack list.
A few picks later, the Jets used their own selection on QB Chad Pennington. While he was never a Pro Bowler, the argument could be made that he remains the best QB they’ve drafted since Joe Namath. He was a two-time Comeback Player of the Year and a two-time leader in completion percentage. He served as an eight-year starter for the Jets, leading them to three playoff berths and going 2-3 in the postseason. He was never elite, but he was a reliable starter, which is harder to come by than some think.
Finally, they nabbed tight end Anthony Becht with the other Bucs pick at No. 27. He served as New York’s starting tight end for five years from 2000-2004, amassing 133 receptions for 1164 yards and 17 TDs. He went on to play six more years in the league, racking up 132 starts at TE, tied for 37th-most all-time at the position.
