What We Learned: Jets like their QBs and Bills will be tough in 2008

Michael Lombardi is a 22-year veteran of NFL personnel departments, spending eight years with the Raiders and nine years with the Browns, in addition to brief stints with the Broncos, Eagles and 49ers

When the Jets traded into the tail end of the first round, I thought for certain they were headed for a quarterback. However with the extra pick, the Jets selected tight end Dustin Keller from Purdue and sent a powerful message to all the Kellen Clemens doubters.

Keller has very good pass receiving skills and can challenge a defense down the field, but who is going throw him the ball? The Jets will start training camp with an open competition between Chad Pennington and Clemens -- fifth-round pick Erik Ainge of Tennessee will be the No. 3, at best -- meaning the Jets success in 2008 will reside solely in their hands.

Now, I know that Clemens is a young quarterback and half a season of starting is not enough to evaluate his long-range skills. But based on the tape I watched last season, he did not demonstrate the arm strength and body to be a starting quarterback in the NFL. The Meadowlands is a very difficult place to throw the ball because of the constant wind that prevails inside the stadium. Clemens' arm is not strong enough to cut down the wind. When the slick defensive minds (like Bill Belichick) have to defend a weak-armed quarterback, it makes for an easy day of defense.

The Jets are rebuilding their line in free agency and seem to have addressed the tight end need in this draft, but until they fix the quarterback position on this roster, they will struggle to beat the Patriots. It might be wise for the Jets to call Tampa Bay and make an offer for Chris Simms, whois available and in need of fresh environment. He may help this team win next year and he clearly knows who to ask about those awful Meadowlands winds.

What happens when your team leads the NFL in field-goal attempts and still makes the playoffs? You draft a home run hitter who can get the ball into the end zone and help you score points. Chris Johnson of East Carolina fit the bill for the Titans. The former East Carolina rusher is a multi-purpose player and was the fastest running back in the draft.

Vince Young is a dynamic player but struggled to play in former offensive coordinator Norm Chow's version of the West Coast offense. Chow was not retained and in comes Mike Heimerdinger from Denver to open the offensive attack. Heimerdinger is an excellent coach that can utilize the skill set of Young -- much like he did with a young Steve McNair. Now, with Johnson in the backfield, the Titans have a player that can take a 5-yard gain and turn it into a 40-yard touchdown. LenDale White, their second-round pick in 2006, is the pounding back, the inside-the-tackles runner who will pick up the tough yards. Johnson is the back that allows Heimerdinger to open up the formation and get Young back to his college roots.

Young works best out of the spread attack, much like he did while he played at Texas. Spreading the formation forces the defense to spread out and this will allow seams for Johnson to exploit. Vince Young needs to have a versatile back around him, who has wide receiver skills, but running back power. Trying to get a wide receiver may have been the popular idea for the Titans before the draft, but getting a multi-dimensional runner was the best move.

Jackonville had a very good football team last year and made great progress in their quest to beat the Colts for the AFC South title. The one element of the Jaguars defense that was lacking was the lack of athleticism of their defensive ends. It's clear to me now, based on the Jags' actions this draft weekend, that they have closed the gap even more on the Colts

Being bold and trading multiple picks to acquire Florida defensive end Derrick Harvey tells you the Jags feel they don't need much. Coming back and trading up again in the second round to acquire Auburn defensive end Quinton Groves drives that point home -- Groves, in my opinion, was the pick of the draft. Together, Harvey and Groves are a tremendously athletic and fast tandem, which is a requirement when you are attempting to rush Manning