New York Jets – Joe Klecko (No. 144 pick, 1977)
Who?
Most people under the age of 40 would not recognize the name of Joe Klecko, but he was a heck of a football player. The now 62-year-old served as a staple along the defensive front for the Jets between 1977 and 1988, and Klecko brought immediate credibility to the table as part of the famous “New York Sack Exchange” in partnership with Mark Gastineau and others.
Klecko was named to four Pro Bowls and was a first team All-Pro on two different occasions and, more importantly, his versatility was revolutionary. Klecko reached the Pro Bowl at three different positions along the defensive line (nose tackle, defensive tackle and even defensive end), and while he was credited with only 24 career sacks (the stat was not tracked in the first half of his career), Klecko is well-known for his abilities to stifle the run and get into the backfield to deter the pass.
Lastly, Klecko represents a huge value proposition for the Jets in that he was a sixth round pick. Some of the other contenders for this honor (including the aforementioned Gastineau and, of course, Joe Namath) were first-round investments, and it should not go unnoticed that New York was able to unearth a gem with the 144th overall selection.
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