The infamous 2014 New York Jets draft class was officially laid to rest when offensive lineman Dakota Dozier announced his retirement at age 32 in a March 26 Instagram post.
With Dozier’s retirement, every member of the draft class that came to be known as “The Idzik 12” is now out of the NFL.
“The game of football has been an absolute blessing in my life. I’m so thankful for all [of] the people it’s allowed me to meet, places it’s given me the opportunity to go, and so many wonderful experiences,” Dozier wrote. “I’m extremely grateful to have been a part of the Jets, Vikings, and Bears franchises.”
Dozier had not appeared in a game since 2021, when he was with the Vikings. As a member of the Bears, he was injured during practice in July 2022 and ultimately missed the entire season. He never fully recovered, according to his Instagram post, and missed the 2023 season as an unsigned free agent.
The History of ‘The Idzik 12’ Draft Class
Ahead of the 2014 NFL draft, the Jets had accumulated 12 total draft selections.
Then head coach Rex Ryan “unsuccessfully lobbied” Idzik to trade up from the No. 18 overall spot in the first round to select LSU wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr, per Rich Cimini of ESPN. Instead, they stood pat and selected Louisville safety Calvin Pryor.
Cimini called it “bad karma,” especially considering how the rest of the draft played out, naming it “arguably the worst in Jets history.”
Overall, the draft class produced 27 Pro Bowlers, according to Cimini, so while the rest of the NFL got some juice out of the orange, the Jets got almost the exact opposite.
Only two of the 12 players drafted lasted more than four seasons in the NFL: wide receiver Quincy Enunwa (five years) and Dozier (seven years).
From the draft in April 2014 through April 2019, those 12 players were cut “44 times by 20 different teams,” per Cimini.
No one of “The Idzik 12” became more famous than IK Enemkpali, but it was for all of the wrong reasons.
In August 2015, Enemkpali got into an altercation with then-Jets quarterback Geno Smith that resulted in a broken jaw for Smith and both players’ careers changed forever.
Smith went from starter to backup, and that opened the door for Ryan Fitzpatrick to have the best season of his career with the Jets in 2015. Who knows what would’ve happened had Smith never broken his jaw?
Enemkpali was released, played 156 snaps for the Bills that year and never appeared in another game.
The Past Is a Stern Warning for the Future
Idzik was fired in December 2014.
Dozier’s announcement serves as a cautionary tale for general manager Joe Douglas heading into April’s draft.
New York has seven picks ahead of a do-or-die season for the Douglas regime. That puts a tremendous amount of pressure on Douglas to hit some home runs in the draft.
Idzik refused to move around the board during that 2014 NFL draft. It was a key reason for his departure.
Douglas must have an open mind during the draft and be willing to move when the opportunity presents itself. Whether that’s trading up or down.
Douglas pulled off arguably one of the best Jets draft classes of all time in 2022. Now he will look to repeat those efforts in 2024.
