NFL Team Mock Draft: New York Jets 2nd Overall

It is official: The Tank for Trevor era is over in New York. A season that saw ineptitude of incredulous proportions by the New York Jets now seems to be for naught. After their 23-16 victory over the Cleveland Browns, the New York Jets will now pick 2nd overall behind the Jacksonville Jaguars.

With Trevor Lawrence out of the picture, what will the Jets do with their 2nd overall pick this upcoming April? Will they stay put and draft a new quarterback? Will they stick with Sam Darnold as their quarterback of the future? Will New York trade down? There are so many possibilities for the Jets.

Jets fans, meet your new head coach: me! After moving on from Adam Gase, the Jets organization has entrusted me to lead their team out of the abyss, and to create a contender that will rival the Chiefs in the AFC for years to come. General Manager Joe Douglas even let me have full control of this upcoming draft. With trades on, here is my full 7 round mock draft for the New York Jets. (Full mock draft results here)

Round 1:

Trade: Jets trade #2nd overall pick to Atlanta Falcons for the: #4 (1st round), #36 (2nd round), 68th (3rd round pick), and 105 (4th round pick)

Originally I didn’t want to trade out of the 2nd overall pick, but it was just too hard to turn down such a premium haul. The Falcons offer was simply too good to refuse. For moving down just two picks we received two picks on day two, as well as a solid 4th rounder. That’s a no brainer. Enjoy Justin Fields Atlanta, we already have our quarterback for the future!

4th overall: Penei Sewell, OT Oregon

We’re going to stick with Sam Darnold. He’s shown that there is potential there, but he’s not a miracle worker. Let’s get him some protection by taking Oregon lineman Penei Sewell. Sewell is a special prospect that has elite size and athleticism. He has the potential to be one of the premier linemen of the 2020s. We already have a standout left tackle in Mekhi Becton, last year’s first-round pick, let’s pair him with Sewell. Sewell can either play at right tackle, or simply kick inside to guard. Either way, Sam Darnold is going to have a lot more help upfront than he’s ever had before with the Jets.

27th Overall: Najee Harris, RB Alabama

In an unfortunate turn of events, top wide receivers Rashod Bateman and Terrace Marshall were taken just a few picks before the Jets. Chris Olave was an intriguing option, as was Amon-Ra St.Brown, but in the end, I decided to help out Sam Darnold and the offense in a different way. Najee Harris has all the makings of a star bell cow running back in the NFL. His addition as a ferocious runner, as well as a solid receiver out of the backfield, will help take some of the weight off of Darnold’s shoulders.

Round 2:

34th Overall: Azeez Ojulari, EDGE Georgia

Despite many offers from teams in the back end of the first round, we decided to stay put. Not wanting to risk the Dolphins taking him before our next pick at 36, we take our guy in Azeez Ojulari. This team cannot rush the passer. We currently rank 21st in sacks, with only 28 total sacks entering the last week of the season. 7 of those sacks come from star defensive tackle Quinnen Williams. This team needs pass rushers badly, and Georgia edge rusher Azeez Ojulari has the potential to be a big-time speed rusher for the Jets.

36th Overall: Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR USC

Sam Darnold needs a reliable receiver that gets open and makes catches. Jamison Crowder’s a good slot receiver, and Denzel Mims can potentially be a dominant physical receiver. Amon-Ra St. Brown would be the perfect compliment. St. Brown is a great separator, using his physical gifts to get open against man coverage. He makes tough catches in the endzone. He can be a reliable target for Darnold, as well as a big-play threat to compliment the rest of the offense.

Trade: Jets trade 66th overall (3rd round pick), and 103rd overall (4th round pick) to San Francisco 49ers for 46th overall (2nd round)

46th overall: Deonte Brown, OG Alabama

With three 3rd round picks, we package one of them with a 4th to move up and draft Alabama guard Deonte Brown. Najee Harris has been one of the best backs in college with Brown clearing out the trenches for him. He can play next to either Sewell or Becton to create a nightmare for opposing defensive lines. Brown is a big mauler that bulldozes defensive lineman. Just watch him against last year’s 7th overall pick Derrick Brown to see how good he is. We are building a new culture in New York that bullies and demoralizes NFL defenses.

Round 3:

68th Overall: Quincy Roche, EDGE Miami

A cornerback here was an interesting option, but we decide to shoot for another top-level speed rusher in Miami’s Quincy Roche. Roche is another speed rusher with ridiculous athleticism and explosiveness. He has all of the tools to be a nightmare for opposing tackles, and can keep opposing quarterbacks from having all day against the Jets’ defense.

90th Overall: Elijah Moulden, CB Washington

With the nickel cornerback position becoming even more important in the NFL, we take potentially the next top-level nickel corner in Washington’s Elijah Moulden. He is a good athlete that has really good instincts and has a great nose for the ball. He’s a willing tackler and will add a good element to our secondary.

Round 4:

105th Overall: Tyree Gillespie, S Missouri

With our 4th round pick, we help out our secondary again with Missouri safety Tyree Gillespie. There is a lot of upside in Gillespie. He gets to the ball carrier in a hurry, and is a tough tackler. He shows good range and might be the best run support safety in this class. He’ll be a great addition next to Marcus Maye.

Round 5:

142nd Overall: David Moore, OG Grambling State

We continue to build our culture of dominating the trenches by taking another tough mauler in Grambling State’s David Moore. As a small school prospect, Moore needs some time, but there’s real potential there. Moore dominated the SWAC and is one of the nastiest guard prospects you will find. He is a tough and physical lineman that sets the tone on offense.

148th Overall: Justyn Ross, WR Clemson

Ross despite a down injury history has great potential. He’s a physically dominant wide receiver who was regarded as a top prospect before the injuries. The reward is most certainly worth the risk here with Ross.

Round 6:

193rd Overall: Demetric Felton, RB/WR UCLA

With our last pick, we take the perfect complement to first-round running back Najee Harris. Demetric Felton is a speedy threat out of the backfield and in the slot, and can be a nice receiving back. He can be a nice change of pace back and receiving threat out of the backfield to complement Najee Harris.

Writer

-By: Jacob Keppen