NFL Draft: LI's Jeremy Ruckert drafted 101st overall by Jets
Jeremy Ruckert grew up a die-hard Jets fan. As a kid, he and his family would go to practices at Hofstra and make the trek out to East Rutherford for games. During the pre-draft process, his father Bill made it known that he wanted his son to be a Jet, often tweeting out pictures of a young Ruckert in green and white face paint.
On Friday night, Ruckert’s dream became a reality.
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) April 30, 2022
The Lindenhurst native and Ohio State tight end was drafted 101st overall in the third round by the Jets on Friday night. He celebrated his selection at home at a draft party with about 40 friends and family members.
“I can’t even put it into words,” Ruckert said via Zoom. “It was deafening once I put that hat on and once they found out who was on the other end of that call.”
Want to see what pure joy looks like?
— jamie stuart (@jamiestuartTV) April 30, 2022
Here’s the moment Long Island’s @Jeremy_Ruckert1 got drafted by his favorite team the @nyjets. @NewsdaySports @NewsdayHSsports @BeerShot21 pic.twitter.com/hYqmzrQAnj
Ruckert capped a stellar career at Lindenhurst, catching 222 passes for 3,133 yards and 37 touchdowns while also making his presence felt on defense (13 sacks and two interceptions in his senior year) and even as a kicker. He was the co-winner of the Hansen Award in 2017 and a three-time All-Long Island selection.
He played four seasons at Ohio State, making 54 catches for 615 yards and 12 touchdowns in his career. Ohio State’s offense doesn’t necessarily flow through the tight end position; they’re usually asked to stay in and block, leaving the playmaking to the Buckeyes’ receivers (one of whom will join Ruckert in Florham Park: Garrett Wilson).
Still, it gave Ruckert a chance to round out his game and hone his blocking skills. And it wasn’t as if he lost his hands: in fact, sometimes he only needed one, like when he made a highlight-reel touchdown catch in the 2021 national championship game.
It’s that sort of well-rounded athleticism that had many analysts projecting him as a better pro than a college player.
“The numbers and the production aren't great, but if you go and look at the top tight ends in the NFL and for the most part look at their production with guys like George Kittle, it's a traits-over-production position right now,” NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah said in February before the NFL Combine. “You're trying to find guys that have the ability to do those things. You don't necessarily need to have seen them do it, but they need to have that ability.”
The Jets added two tight ends in free agency in C.J. Uzomah and Tyler Conklin, but they’re excited to get to work with Ruckert’s traits. Head coach Robert Saleh called him “an absolute bulldog in the run game” — fitting, since Lindenhurst’s mascot is the Bulldogs — and GM Joe Douglas called him a “tough-minded individual” and a “dynamic athlete.”
Ruckert didn’t get a chance to do any drills at the Combine or at Ohio State’s Pro Day because of a foot injury he sustained on the first day of Senior Bowl practices — where the Jets got an up-close look at him as one of the game’s two coaching staffs — but Douglas said he doesn’t expect him to miss “any significant time.”
When he does step onto the field, expect the same mentality that helped him get this far.
“You’re going to get someone that doesn’t care about personal fame, numbers, stats, or anything,” Ruckert said. “Just gonna do whatever it takes to help the team win. I’ll do anything. I’ll even kick the ball if you need me to.”