The Jets have bolstered talent with the resigning period. Let’s do a 7-round mock draft. Let’s look at the roster with the resignings from part 1:
UPDATED STARTERS, OFFENSE:
QB: Sam Darnold
RB: Le’Veon Bell
WR: Robby Anderson
WR: empty
SLOT: Jamison Crowder
TE: Chris Herndon/Ryan Griffin
RT: empty
RG: Alex Lewis
C: Jonotthan Harrison
LG: Brian Winters
LT: empty
UPDATED STARTERS, DEFENSE (3-4):
DE: Quinnen Williams
DE: Henry Anderson
DT: Steve McClendon
OLB: Jordan Jenkins
OLB: Brandon Copeland
ILB: CJ Mosley
ILB: Avery Williamson
LCB: Bless Austin
RCB: empty
NCB: Brian Poole
SS: Jamal Adams
FS: Marcus Maye
UPDATED STARTERS, SPECIAL TEAMS
LS: Thomas Hennessy
K: empty
P: Lachlan Edwards
KR: Vyncint Smith
PR: Braxton Berrios
So positions in need are RT, LT, WR, and CB. Don’t worry: This draft will cover all of the above. Roll film.
PICK 11: Tristan Wirfs, OT Iowa
I’ve been high on Wirfs since the Hawkeyes played Michigan in October. He’s easily the best OT in the draft, just a bit under the radar because of his college status. Has a very solid future in the NFL. He has grace and nimble feet despite a looming stature (6’5, 322). Dynamic lower half, clean in pass sets, really good as an OT. Imagine what he could be with a proper coach… Note that he also plays both LT and RT.
PICK 48: Justin Jefferson, WR LSU
Good athleticism for his position. He displays great instincts against zone and will adjust his route accordingly. He is a sneaky route runner who knows how to set up defenders to win against man coverage. He is good in contested catch situations. Plays with good toughness and will catch over the middle when contact is foreseeable. Appears to be more effective in the intermediate to deep areas. Put Robby Anderson on one side, JJ on the other, and it turns into a lethal combo.
PICK 68 (VIA NYG): Bradlee Anae, EDGE Utah
I absolutely love this kid. At the Senior Bowl, he dominated, finishing with three sacks and several other pressures. His hands and massive arsenal of counter moves got him the Pac-12’s Defensive Player of the Year. He dominates one-on-ones, exposing poor timing and footwork by the offensive tackles with his unpredictability. Anae’s three-sack performance Saturday was just a glimpse of what he did throughout the week leading up to the Senior Bowl – He’s going to be REALLY good.
PICK 79: Cameron Dantzler, CB Mississippi State
Dantzler projects as an outside CB at the NFL level. Has exceptional zone coverage skills, good reaction time. His break on balls are A+, knows when to disrupt the play without causing pass interference. Knows how to play the position, already a top CB after only playing two seasons. Played a handful of other positions in HS – could be an X-Factor. His only problem is his physicality, needs more strength and weight on his frame.
PICK 110: K.J. Hill, WR Ohio State
Hill uses his athleticism to his advantage. Really impressive RAC ability. Elusive in space and good agility to make defenders miss. Great in the slot, dangerous returner, fantastic short-route runner. Isn’t afraid to take a hit. The only problem is that he only has one gear, but the gear is fast enough that he makes it work. Needs to work on deep-route running, but has a lot of potential.
PICK 140: Michael Onwenu, IOL Michigan
Onwenu is MASSIVE. 6’3, 362 pounds. Built like a boulder, and anchored the offensive line at Michigan. He has really impressive lateral mobility, can block defensive ends off pulls. Completely has lower-half strength, and his size is natural leverage for pass sets and anchoring. Dominates the point of attack when he hits the pads. He’s also quite durable, starting 34 of 39 games for Michigan. Would be a great developmental guy to anchor the young OL core around.
PICK 171: Antonio Gibson, RB/WR Memphis
Jeez, this kid can move. Gibson is one of the most agile and elusive players I’ve seen in my life. He had 38 receptions and 33 carries across his final season with the Tigers, a dual threat. He can finish runs forward and take some contact with him, leading to penalty yardage. Only problem, he’s not fully a true WR or a true RB. In the film, I think I like him better as a RB. But he’ll need to develop some.
PICK 201: John Reid, CB Penn State
Possesses good combination of short-area quickness and long speed to cover both laterally and vertically in man coverage. Has a solid understanding of routes and timing breakups. The massive problem with Reid is that he’s very small. 5’10, 181 pounds. That causes a lack of length, hindering his destruction. Sometimes, his nerves get the better of him while in man, and is afraid to make a play. Does draw unnecessary penalties. This pick would be a preseason evaluation. There’s only a 50% chance I have him making the team.
So the Jets go through the draft. Free Agency will come in part 3. As I’m writing this, I realized I did the offseason in the wrong order. But it’s okay, because I won’t change anything I had originally. Expect part 3 in about a week. For now, make sure to follow @field2court and @takeflightinsider on Instagram.
Flight out.
