He was the young general manager of the Jets as the 2007 draft neared, and Mike Tannenbaum was eager to build on his first-round bounty of D’Brickashaw Ferguson and Nick Mangold from the 2006 draft.
And this time, a Pittsburgh cornerback named Darrelle Revis was very much on his radar.
Revis returns to MetLife Stadium on Sunday with the Chiefs, and this is the story of how he first became a Jet:
“The big question about Darrelle that year was the quality of receivers in the Big East at the time,” Tannenbaum told The Post.
The other corners who would be drafted in the first round that year were Leon Hall, who was picked 18th by the Bengals, and Aaron Ross, who was picked 20th by the Giants.
Revis, who did not workout at the Combine because of a hamstring twinge, had hearts racing at his March 16 pro day with a 4.39 40.
“[Senior personnel executive and previous GM] Terry Bradway was at the Pro Day,” Tannenbaum recalled, “and he called us from the airport and said, ‘There’s no way he’ll be there at 25 based on this incredible workout. We’re gonna have to go up and get him.’ ”
So Tannenbaum needed a trade partner. The Panthers were picking 14th, and Tannenbaum enjoyed a good relationship with their GM, Marty Hurney.
“Hey,” Tannenbaum told Hurney the night before the April 28 draft, “there’s a player or two that we could be interested in.”
The parameters for the potential first-round swap were established that night. The Jets would surrender the 59th and 164th picks and receive the 191st, which Tannenbaum would package to the Packers with the 63rd and 89th picks to obtain the 47th pick, which he used on linebacker David Harris, and the 235th pick.
“[Hurney] was in the other conference, he was looking to trade back, we were trying to trade up,” Tannenbaum said.
There was some anxiety inside the Jets’ war room because Tannenbaum and coach Eric Mangini had no guarantee Revis would last until pick 14.
“We just felt we really had to come out of this thing with a corner,” Tannenbaum said. “The corner we wanted was him.”
And here’s why: “He kind of checked all the boxes,” Tannenbaum said. “He was strong. He was a good athlete. … He was a combination of a guy that athletically could run and was really fluid in change of direction, but he was strong enough that he could tackle, and when he got his hands on you, he was very physical. And he had prototypical size.
“From a scouting standpoint, he kind of fit everything we were looking for — someone that could play press, somebody that could run, athletically could go outside and play man-to-man.”
At No. 12, the Bills selected RB Marshawn Lynch. At 13, the Rams selected DE Adam Carriker.
“When [Hurney] was on the clock, we were able to get it done pretty quick,” Tannenbaum said.
Joy in Jetville.
“He was one of those guys that from play one, Day 1, he just belonged,” Tannenbaum said.
Tannenbaum had no inkling, of course, that he had drafted a Hall of Fame player.
“At practice, he didn’t want to get beat in any drill,” Tannenbaum said. “To me, the redeeming quality about Darrelle was just an innate competitiveness at practice.”
Revis feared no one. His battles with Randy Moss were legendary.
“I think Darrelle always wanted to play against the best, and he never backed down, and was comfortable playing those guys man-to-man,” Tannenbaum said.
Rex Ryan succeeded Mangini in 2009.
“[Ryan] knew he was a really good player, and I think when he got in he was even more surprised how good he was,” Tannenbaum said. “And it was a great fit for Rex because Rex wanted to play so much man-to-man, and that was obviously Darrelle’s strength. It was a really good fit from a scheme and personnel standpoint.”
Revis Island endured until Sept. 23, 2012, when he tore his ACL in Miami.
“I was disappointed for him because I know what a competitor he is, how important football is to him,” Tannenbaum said.
Revis was just as unyielding in contract negotiations, and John Idzik, four months after succeeding Tannenbaum, would trade him to Tampa Bay in April 2013.
Idzik was replaced by Mike Maccagnan, who brought Revis back to the Jets for $39 million guaranteed in 2015. Revis — 31 and overweight, a barking wrist impeding his physicality — was no longer Revis in 2016.
“He has all the attributes to still play at a good level,” Tannenbaum said. “I could see why Kansas City would want to sign him.”
Revis’ Jets legacy?
“I think he’s a transformative player that won a lot of games,” Tannenbaum said. “He’s a really, really good player for a long time, great player for a long time. I think he will go down as one of the better players in the history of the Jets.”
Tannenbaum, now a Dolphins exec, is proud of drafting a player all scouts and personnel men and general managers dream of drafting.
“I feel great about the process we used,” Tannenbaum said. “He was a guy that helped us win a lot of games and a lot of playoff games when I was there, and he was a big part of the reason why we were able to do that.”