The New York Jets are essentially looking for a do-over for their disastrous 2023 season. New York had high hopes coming off a trade for four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers, but he ended up tearing his Achilles just four snaps into the season, and things only got worse for the Jets from there.
They have already tried to upgrade their roster in free agency by acquiring players like Tyron Smith, Morgan Moses and Mike Williams, but there are still plenty of roster holes that need plugging as they approach the NFL Draft. The Jets are counting on several older, injury-prone players to remain healthy if they want to reach their ceiling, and they'll need to fortify their depth at several positions later this month.
With all that in mind, we took a stab at what a seven-round mock draft could look like for this team, focusing intently on matching the biggest areas of need with the best players available.
Team needs: OL, WR, TE, ED, IDL, S
2024 NFL Draft picks
- Round 1: Pick 10
- Round 3: Pick 72
- Round 4: Pick 111
- Round 4: Pick 134 (from Baltimore) (compensatory pick)
- Round 6: Pick 185
- Round 7: Pick 256 (compensatory pick)
- Round 7: Pick 256 (compensatory pick) (Mr. Irrelevant)
Jets seven-round mock draft
Round 1, Pick 10
Were I the Jets, my first option here would be to trade down and try to pick up another Day 2 selection. As it standard, New York has no picks between 10 and 72, and that's an area of the draft where a whole lot of players who fit the Jets' needs will come off the board. Failing that, offensive line still seems like by far the biggest need. Yes, Tyron Smith and Morgan Moses are in town, but you absolutely cannot count on Smith to play 17 games, and the interior is still a relative weakness. Fuaga can play guard early in his career and then kick outside, or he can play tackle right away if something happens to Smith or Moses.
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Round 3, Pick 72
It seems like Walker is going to fall further down the board than he should after an up-and-down year at UNC following his breakout season at Kent State. But the circumstances surrounding his transfer and the fact that he had to sit out for the first month of the season seem like a bigger factor there than any lack of ability. He has solid size at 6-foot-1 and 193 pounds, and he posted elite speed and explosion numbers at the NFL Scouting Combine. Put him across from Garrett Wilson and let him be a complementary option, and he should find success quickly.
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Round 4, Pick 111
A lot of mock drafts will peg the Jets to take Brock Bowers in Round 1. That's fine. He's really damn good. But if they go in another direction early, I like taking a shot on All on Day 3. He actually led draft-eligible tight ends in adjusted yards per route, racking up 299 yards, 12 first downs and 3 touchdowns despite only running 106 pass routes all season. Coming out of the tight end factory that is Iowa, it seems like a worthy bet to make.
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From
Baltimore Ravens
Round 4, Pick 134
Carson split his time between the perimeter and the slot while at Wake Forest, and that type of versatility is always valuable. The Jets already have an excellent outside duo in Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed, but you can never have too many corners -- especially those who are willing to play up near the line of scrimmage and make plays in the run game, in addition to handling their coverage responsibilities.
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Round 5, Pick 185
Jefferson is a mammoth man at 6-foot-3, 313 pounds, and due to that size and his accompanying strength, he has a chance to be a strong contributor in the run game during his career. He may not bring much in the pass-rush department, but the Jets have plenty of players to get after the quarterback.
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Round 7, Pick 256
Owens doesn't have a ton of experience, but he has high-level traits to develop into a "tight-end stopper" type of safety down the line, and he should be able to contribute on special teams right away.
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Round 7, Pick 257
Ezirim began his career as a defensive lineman before flipping to the offensive side of the ball. He has excellent size and, if given time, could develop into a backup guard or swing tackle.
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