ABSTRACT:

The rule of thumb, even for 3-13 teams whose receivers have lots of thumbs, is that with the first overall pick, you pass on the pass catcher. Not only are they plentiful and often fragile, but reasonably worthless to a team with a 3-13 quarterback, a 3-13 running game and a 3-13 offensive line.

Rich Kotite took Keyshawn Johnson anyway, even though the Jets needed everything, even though no coach whose best year turned out to be a 3-13 could have conceived of a glorious day like yesterday: When the No. 1 pick in the 1996 draft indeed did everything.