NFL Draft Bust Vault: LB/DE Vernon Gholston, New York Jets

Turn on the tape and instantly he jumped off the screen. At 6’3 266 pounds of pure muscle and intensity, how could you not notice?

How could you not notice the way he tossed lineman and routinely made tackles in the backfield?

At the 2008 NFL Combine, Vernon Gholston tied the bench press score with 37 repetitions of 225 pounds, ran a 4.58 40-yard dash, and recorded a 41 inch vertical. Gholston was a Combine warrior and had every team on notice as they marveled at his talents and superior Combine results. One team in particular, New York Jets, saw Gholston as a serious piece to their 3-4 defense. Then head coach Eric Mangini and the Jets were off a 4-12 campaign in 2007 and were in desperate need of retooling the roster in several areas.

One position that needed upgrading was the outside linebacker spot in their 3-4 defense. So the Jets decide to make Gholston the answer to their pass rushing issues and drafted the former Ohio State defender at sixth overall in the 2008 NFL Draft. What occurred soon afterwards had many questioning the drafting of Gholston before his rookie season concluded.

Gholston didn’t even play much his rookie season and whatever playing time he “earned”, it was only on special teams. A rookie season of only 13 tackles was a tremendous disappointment to say the least. His second season (2009) saw similar results as he only totaled 17 tackles under Rex Ryan’s first season as head coach. Year three, 16 games played and only 12 total tackles. Gholston was then released from the Jets in March 2011.

Three seasons. 45 games played as a member of the Jets. 42 total tackles. Zero sacks.

Incredible.

For an elite, physical specimen, Gholston made little impact. By me saying little, I’m actually being generous. Coming out of Ohio State, Gholston wasn’t necessarily your “raw” prospect, He had back to back seasons in 2006 and 2007 with at least 15 tackles for loss while also racking up 22.5 stats. There was little debate that he was a “draft and develop” type prospect. Majority of writers and analysts anointed Gholston as a player who will be ready from day one.

“One team in particular, New York Jets, saw Gholston as a serious piece to their 3-4 defense”

What’s interesting is the move by Gholston to place the blame on Rex Ryan for his departure. He stated that as a first rounder, Ryan gave him little opportunity to prove himself. However, can we really blame Ryan? When you’re a top ten pick, your room for error is minimal and gets lower by the season. How much time did Gholston feel he needed? Isn’t 45 games enough? Rex Ryan’s defense has proven itself for years and the scheme puts most players in position to succeed because of their skills.