"Less than 24 hours after the Jets selected a potential future pass-rushing star in the first round, Gang Green rolled the dice last night by selecting one of the most enigmatic players on the board late in the third round. General manager Mike Tannenbaum, who has taken plenty of gambles in the past, selected Hampton defensive tackle Kenrick Ellis with the No. 94 pick. The talented but troubled Ellis' resume includes flashes of brilliance on the field and question marks off it. He reportedly faces a July 12 jury trial for a felony charge stemming from a fight last April that carries a maximum 20-year prison sentence. The 6-5, 346-pound Ellis allegedly broke the nose and jaw of a man who swung a baseball bat at him. "Any pick has risk," said Tannenbaum, who didn't discuss specifics of Ellis' legal situation. "We did a lot of research on the player. Based on all the information we have, we're comfortable taking him. Maybe his risk is more than others. But if we didn't feel like there was a path to have him be successful here, we wouldn't have taken him." It's a calculated risk that could pay huge dividends. Ellis, a Division I-AA first-team All-America last season, started 27 games in three seasons at Hampton with 184 tackles and seven sacks. He was the 36th-ranked player on the Jets' board - and second-best nose tackle, according to director of scouting Joey Clinkscales. Ellis, who had 94 tackles last season, would likely rotate with Sione Pouha in the middle of the Jets' 3-4 scheme. He is a proven run-stuffer and space-eater capable of being an ideal two-gap nose tackle. Ellis reportedly flunked multiple drug tests at South Carolina before transferring after the 2007 season." Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/f...aken_by_jets_in_second_round_of_nfl_draf.html
