Mel Kiper: “You can make an argument this is the best pick in the first round.”

Round 1 (No. 30 overall) – Akeem Ayers, OLB, UCLA
- The Jets need to add some youth to their defensive front seven and Ayers fits that bill. He’s athletic, can get to the quarterback, and has shown the capability to drop back into coverage. The only question is whether he will still be on the board when the Jets pick at No. 30. If he’s available, the Jets should pull the trigger.

If not him, then… Phil Taylor, DT, Baylor
- The Jets have a need on the defensive line and Taylor is a prototypical nose tackle in the 3-4 defense. He could be a great pick for the Jets at No. 30.

Other possibilities: 
Muhammad Wilkerson, DL, Temple
Cam Heyward, DE, Ohio State
Brooks Reed, OLB, Arizona

The Jets do not own a Round 2 pick (traded to San Diego for Antonio Cromartie)

Round 3 (No. 30, No. 94 overall) – DeAndre McDaniel, S, Clemson
- Safety is another one of the Jets’ several needs. They can add a playmaker here with McDaniel.

If not him, then… Randall Cobb, WR, Kentucky
- With question marks surrounding their receiving corps, it may behoove the Jets to select a receiver with this pick.

Other Possibilities:
Ahmad Black, S, Florida
Marcus Gilchrist, CB, Clemson

Chris Canty arrived at the Giants’ facility around noon Tuesday, met with the team’s coaches, including Tom Coughlin , lifted in the team’s weight room and went home. Wednesday he planned on doing the same thing, with the slight adjustment of working on his lower body instead of his upper body.

“I had an opportunity to come over here and work out and I wanted to take advantage of it because this is where I wanted to be,” Canty said as he left the facility around 2:30.

When told that early reports indicated no other NFL team was as accommodating on the first day of business after the injunction against the lockout Monday night, Canty smiled.

“I didn’t expect anything else,” he said. “This is a class- act organization all the way. They want the best for their players and they want us to be successful. I wasn’t surprised.

“This is the New York football Giants,” he added, “not the Jets .”

This little preseason jab from Canty came out of nowhere. I thought maybe he would have taken a shot at Dallas.

The Giants and Jets have been trading jabs more frequently in recent years. Rex Ryan took some jabs at the Giants in his new book.

Canty, originally from the Bronx, is entering his third season with the Giants after playing four years in Dallas. His Giants will play the Jets on Christmas Eve this season.

According to multiple league insiders, the interest the Jets have in Moss is twofold. One, it could help them weather the very real possibility of losing at least one of their three free-agent receivers: Holmes, Braylon Edwards and Brad Smith. Two, it would keep Moss from returning to the Patriots, whom he is known to want to re-join.

Ryan also spoke about Moss last month, according to Greg Bedard of The Boston Globe.

Ryan spoke highly of Moss last month. “Randy Moss, I’ve said all along, is a great vertical receiver,’’ Ryan said at the owners’ meetings. “And you have to roll coverage. Most teams would have to roll coverage to him. We never did, but we got burned for a touchdown. But he was a weapon. A vertical weapon down the field.’’ Curiously, when Ryan began to speak about Moss, he checked first with team spokesman Bruce Speight to see if it would be tampering.

I’d rather see the Jets draft a receiver in the third round of the upcoming draft than sign Moss, but I wouldn’t put anything past the Jets at this point. It seems like there is no player in the NFL that the Jets wold shy away from. It started with Brett Favre and has escalated from there.

I say let Moss go back to the Patriots. He’s not the player he once was. The Jets have beat the Patriots with and without Moss.

There are disputing reports, however, that say the Jets have no interest in the Moss.

Again, with or without any reports, I wouldn’t put anything past the Jets.

Rex imparts some wisdom to QB Blaine Gabbert during his Pro Day. See the moment between Rex and Blaine here: http://bit.ly/exHimg (Rex Ryan makes an appearance right around the 1:00 minute mark)

The documentary-style series will broadcast weekly on NFL.com/ProveIt and continue through kickoff 2011. Highlights of the series include the many challenges faced by pro prospects, going behind the scenes at Senior Bowl, the Combine, Draft Day, moving to a new city, and the countless workouts, hijinx and weight room sessions in between.

First, the new rule may make it easier for the Jets to say goodbye to Brad Smith. With less of a kick return game needed because kickoffs will be booted for touchbacks more often, the Jets can use the money that Smith covets on other free agents. Maybe that money helps the Jets re-sign both Braylon Edwards and Santonio Holmes. Maybe that money goes to adding depth on the defensive line. Whatever the Jets decide to do with that money, it will help the team in other, more urgent areas. Brad Smith, as much as he can do for this team, may not be worth as much with the new kickoff rule. If Smith were to accept a contract within reason then I’m all for re-signing him because he does have value and there will be still be returnable kicks even with the new rule, but if he’s asking for a big contract then I’d let him walk. I’m not paying big bucks for a guy that is at best a third receiver (and that’s pushing it), runs the wildcat a few plays per game, and will see a decreased role in the return game.

The new kickoff rule also helps the Jets’ defense. The Jets’ kicker in 2010, Nick Folk, didn’t have much length on his kicks and opposing teams usually started drives with very good field position. That can be blamed on Folk, who will most likely not be returning to the Jets in 2011, but the new rule will help any kicker, Folk included, and all defenses will benefit. Kickoffs from the 35-yard line will push opposing offense’s starting field position back and give the Jets’ defense extra yards to work with. The Jets are built around defense and if they can win the field position battle, the Jets’ offense will benefit.

Don’t get me wrong, the Jets’ starting field position will suffer with this new rule and we’ll see less kickoff returns for big gains and even touchdowns, something that the Jets and Brad Smith have done well. But this rule doesn’t kill the Jets. It hurts some areas, while it helps other areas. You could argue that the Jets’ offense needs more help than the defense and this rule hurts this offense, but the help that the defense gains from the new rule will turn around and help the offense if the defense does its job.