New York Jets Select Bryce Petty In Round 4 of 2015 NFL Draft

The New York Jets traded up one spot to select former Baylor Bears quarterback Bryce Petty with the 103rd overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft on /4/2.

The New York Jets have drafted former Baylor Bears quarterback Bryce Petty. 

According to Randy Lange of the Jets’ official website, New York traded up one spot with the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fourth round of the 2015 NFL draft to nab Petty with the 103rd overall pick on /4/2.

.@b_petty14 became a Jet on SAT.

Shortly thereafter, he hopped on the phone w/ @eallenjets– http://t.co/iytkiGMRu4 pic.twitter.com/kBIAOZojiX— New York Jets (@nyjets) /4/3, 2015

Aside from swapping the 104th overall pick with Jacksonville, the Jets also sent their seventh-round selection (229th overall obtained from the Houston Texans) to the Jaguars. Petty is the third quarterback taken behind Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota, the first two picks of the draft, per Lange.

He is also the sixth Bears player the Jets have drafted in franchise history. Petty is the first Baylor quarterback the Jets have selected in the draft since Bobby Ply 53 years ago, per NewYorkJets.com. 

The new Jets quarterback told the New York media (via The Waco Journal’s John Werner) on Sunday he’s excited about the opportunity to be part of the Jets:

“That was the longest 48 hours of my life. I’m going to work to be the best — starter, backup that’s up to the coaches. My job is to prove to the other 31 teams what they’re missing out on. I’m so excited to be Jet right now.”

“I’m really pumped for Bryce,” Baylor head football coach Art Briles told Werner on /4/3. “He’s always made the situation fit him. The Jets got a winner.”

The phone call to @b_petty14:

Petty’s end: http://t.co/d1kvbLcBOM

Coach Bowles’ end: http://t.co/GcCKDgjSCK pic.twitter.com/eMk4NPCo2T— New York Jets (@nyjets) /4/3, 2015

Petty told Lange he had no idea the Jets would draft him. However, he did have a slight inkling based on his visit with them two weeks ago:

“Man, I’m stoked, absolutely stoked. I said all along it didn’t matter when I was picked but what I did when I got there. I’m ready to get going. 

“I had a feeling that maybe something clicked there. When I went and met with the Jets staff and front office, I absolutely loved them. I told Mom and Dad when I got back how great they were, just the facilities, everybody. They’re just top-notch.”

Petty emphasized his strengths: his ability to throw and evade the pass rush. He also said his brings plenty of leadership skills to the Jets, per their official website:

“I think I’m a guy that can make any throw, a guy that’s kind of always had the ability to be a leader and rally guys around him, and I think that’s important as a quarterback. All those things you want from a quarterback intangibly, I feel like I have them.

“Physically, I’m tough to bring down, I’m always fighting for that extra yard.”

Maccagnan: “We thought Petty had all the raw potential & ability that if you were to invest time in a QB, he has the attributes to work w/.”— New York Jets (@nyjets) /4/2, 2015

He also added the similarities of the offensive schemes of the Jets and his college team, the Bears, made his destination very appealing, per Lange:

“When we went over stuff with Coach Gailey and Coach [Kevin] Patullo, honestly, a lot of the stuff was the same as far as schematically or concept-wise as what we did at Baylor. It was a good fit so I was really excited about getting that call.”

Petty fortifies a Jets quarterbacks corps currently composed of Geno Smith, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Matt Simms, per Lange. 

Petty comes to New York with solid credentials. He set the NCAA record with a 1.18 percent INT rate and comes from a Bears program that has had five bowl appearances and two Big 12 titles since 2010, per NewYorkJets.com.

He was the consensus Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year in 2013 after he threw for 4,200 yards and 32 touchdowns on a 62 percent completion rate. Last season, he threw for 3,855 yards, 29 touchdowns and seven interceptions on a 63.1 percent completion rate, per Lange. 

Werner says Petty and linebacker Brett Hager were the only two Baylor players drafted by an NFL team this year. The St. Louis Rams selected Hager in the seventh round.

Make sure to log on to I4U News for the latest trends and developments for the geek mind.