Rome wasn't built in a day, Mike Maccagnan.
Still, Maccagnan has been busy since being anointed the New York Jets' new general manager. Since coming on board, he's been signing, trading, and re-signing players to help his vision for this roster come to fruition.
He's already starting to leave his thumbprints all over the roster of this New York Jets team, but even after bringing back have a new signal caller under center in in-depth look at Boise State's Jay Ajayi and broke down every aspect of Ajayi's game, concluding his stock is on the rise and will likely have his name called before the end of the second round. Bringing 50 receptions and 347 carries to the table after a blockbuster junior year where he had 43.2% market share of his team's offensive touches, Ajayi has shown he's a versatile weapon that can attack defenses in a plethora of ways.
Ameer Abdullah 5'9", 205 Pounds (Draft Age: 21) | Nebraska
Nebraska running back Ameer Abdullah has all the tools that you look for in a running back. He is one of the more impressive running backs in the draft, according to Mock Draftable, posting exceptional agility and explosion scores. After an incredible senior year where he scored a combined 22 touchdowns and had rushed for more than 200 yards on four separate occasions -- trailing only Wisconsin's Melvin Gordon -- Abduallah would be an outstanding addition to any team.
Projected 3rd-Round Running Backs
Duke Johnson 5'9â€, 207 Pounds (Draft Age: 21) | Miami (FL)
If the Jets decide to fill other needs earlier in the draft, Miami's Duke Johnson could be a tremendous pickup if still available in the third round. While he may not be as much of a "complete" back as the two previously mentioned rookies, his receiving prowess would make him an extraordinary addition to Gailey's offense. Johnson displayed he could seamlessly adjust to passes even in traffic and has the quickness to be a mismatch against linebackers at the next level. Johnson also has a knack for finding creases and exploiting them in productive runs and could help the Jets immediately in 2015.
Mike Davis 5'9", 217 Pounds (Draft Age: 22) | South Carolina
While there are injury concerns around South Carolina's Mike Davis that may cause him to slide in the draft, one team will get very lucky if Davis can make a full recovery and get back to his 2013 elite-playing self. Davis has shown soft hands out of the backfield when adjusting for screen passes and sees the field well to pick up real estate in a hurry. He has the potential to develop into an NFL-caliber starter but injury and conditioning concerns may cause some teams to hesitate on draft day.
The Jets could still take a look through the free agent pile to see if there's anything left over. It seems Maccagnan was poking around there earlier last week as the Jets reportedly had former Patriots running back Stevan Ridley in for a visit. While Stevan Ridley may be a short-term complementary weapon to add to offensive coordinator Chan Gailey's arsenal, picking up one of the better receiving running backs may help the team more in the long term.
We've already seen that Maccagnan is not afraid to mix it up with the signings and roster moves he's made to date. Adding a long term solution with a rookie running back would be a wise investment to help his team in 2015 and beyond.