The New York Jets have had a turbulent history with the NFL Draft, but on April 20, 1996 they had one of their more memorable moments.
For the first time since the 1965 AFL Draft, which landed them Alabama QB Joe Namath, the Jets held the No. 1 overall pick and selected wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson out of USC.
While it is hard to fathom taking a wide receiver No. 1 overall in today’s game (even then, Johnson was the first receiver selected No. 1 overall since Irving Fryar in 1984), Johnson was already a star at USC with the personality the size of New York — and the fans wanted him.
It was one of the rare draft moments where the fans cheered after the Jets’ selection and Johnson’s name echoed across Radio City Music Hall.
Critics will point to how better receivers, such as Marvin Harrison and Terrell Owens were also taken in that draft, or that Hall of Fame tackle Jonathan Ogden would have made more sense as the No. 1 overall pick, but Johnson was a big deal in New York.
In fact, he got off to a better start to his career than Owens, and was in lockstep with Harrison (until Peyton Manning arrived).
With Bill Parcells as his head coach, Johnson reached two of his three Pro Bowls with the Jets, including the 1998 season in which he was a major part of an offense that reached the AFC Championship Game.
Of course, Johnson’s time in New York came to an unceremonious end in a somewhat similar way as another, more recent larger-than-life personality in Odell Beckham Jr.
The always outspoken Johnson wanted a contract extension, but the Jets would not grant him one, leading to a broken relationship with the team that resulted in Gang Green trading him to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for two first-round picks.
Johnson became the highest-paid wide receiver in the league with Tampa Bay, but never quite lived up to expectations, producing just one more Pro Bowl season.
While Johnson was not a lifelong Jet, he certainly played his best seasons with them and played a crucial role in rejuvenating the franchise under Parcells