We are at the peak of mock draft season, endless comps, and big boards. At one, there is still the question of whether or not the Cardinals will actually take Kyler Murray first overall and get Kingsbury his guy. For the Jets, the question will be how they continue to surround Darnold with talent after signing slot receiver Jamison Crowder, star back Bell and trading for former all-pro guard Osemele. Aside from getting Darnold help they still have big holes at corner and edge to pair with CJ Mosley and Jamal Adams. With a depleted amount of picks from their trade last draft season with the Colts, how will the Jets continue to build a young core ? Assuming the Jets are not able to find a trade partner to trade back here is their best haul from the draft. With the help of The Draft Network’s Mock Draft Simulator here is a projected mock draft.
R1P3: Quinnen Williams
The debate for the Jets at 3 is all about Josh Allen vs Quinnen Williams at 3. The Jets have the far bigger need at Edge with their leading man being Jordan Jenkins who was solid last season leading the team with seven sacks, but the team had trouble generating any kind of pass rush all year. Josh Allen would fill the role that the team had in mind for Anthony Barr but Quinnen Williams is a can’t miss prospect. He does it all, he is a run stopper, can get interior pressure while helping out Leonard Williams who had a down year in 2018. Quinnen was the most dominant player in college football who would start right away and add another stud to a defense that already has Jamal Adams and CJ Mosley.
R3P68: Jachai Polite
For much of the year, Polite had been mocked and viewed as a sure first rounder but had one of the worst pre drafts in recent memory. His time at the combine was spent mucking up his draft stock, not coming off well to NFL teams and analysts now have him projected to fall as far as the third round but the talent is there. Scouts have had character concerns surrounding Polite throughout the process but if the Jets take Quinnen, they would be wise to fill the void at edge rusher and Polite can do just that. He will need to develop in his first couple seasons but taking Polite in the third round is incredible value for a huge need.
R3P93: Isaiah Johnson
Last offseason, the Jets signed corner Trumaine Johnson to a lucrative 5 yr, 72.5 million dollar deal earning him the second highest average earnings across corners, second to only Josh Norman. Johnson’s play did not at all match the contract he signed to. With Darryl Roberts and Rashard Robinson currently as their number two and number three corners they have a massive hole there. Isaiah Johnson would be a nice pickup in the third round, as he is an aggressive corner who can be developed to work on the outside with Trumaine Johnson. The lengthy former receiver would continue to build a big time defense along with Polite and Williams.
R4P105: Tytus Howard
Now in the later rounds we begin to help the future at quarterback, Sam Darnold. As the Colts brilliantly showcased, the key to helping a quarterback is keeping him upright. Sam Darnold was under duress for much of his rookie season, which was highlighted in the Saturday night primetime matchup against the Texans. He was forced to improvise all year, which was also much of the reason why he threw 15 picks on the year. Tytus Howard is more of a project as he was a high school QB who converted to TE then found a role as a right tackle on Alabama State. Howard is still a very raw player that will need to work on his technique. His size and traits provides some reason to take a flier on, especially with the Jets needing depth on the line, and a potential replacement for Kelvin Beachum who has been solid but is in a contract year.
R6P196: Jalen Hurd
The quest to help Darnold continues. This offseason the Jets signed slot receiver Jamison Crowder to join the solid young core of Robby Anderson and Quincy Enunwa. The trio is a solid group of receivers but they are still lacking a number one guy. With their lack of picks it would be hard to land a number one guy, but adding depth is key. Quincy and Robby have both had trouble staying healthy so adding a fourth contributor especially with a deep class of skill position players needs to happen. Taking a chance on a talented guy like Jalen Hurd would be crucial. Darnold had to face a tough Bears defense on the road with a starting group of Deontay Burnett, Jermaine Kearse, and Andre Roberts this past season and that can’t happen again. Jalen Hurd would add needed depth and another young gun to join the young core of players that the jets boast.
R7P217: Andrew Beck
The seventh round is where teams take a chance on a player and hope something sticks. This is the part of the draft where any kind of role on the team would be a plus. The Jets have an emerging receiving TE in Chris Herndon who gained a rapport with Darnold ending the year with 500 yds, 4 TDs and 12.9 yards per catch. The depth of the TE and WR groups would again add necessary depth. Behind Herndon, the Jets have Neale Sterling, Jordan Leggett, Eric Tomlinson and Daniel Brown. Beck can become a long-term answer as a one two punch with Herndon. Beck provides upside as a blocker in run and pass protection. Worth taking a seventh round flier on.