Post by crossfire on Apr 4, 2021 22:12:09 GMT -5
I’ve always thought 7 round mocks are absurd other than to think about the direction a team may be looking at as the draft goes on. But here is one from Connor Hughes.
The Athletic 7 mock draft: After Zach Wilson, needs at CB, on O-line are answered
Connor Hughes
In case you haven’t heard, Joe Douglas wants to build the Jets through the draft. It’d be hard to believe you haven’t heard that, though, considering the number of times Douglas has said it since the Jets named him their general manager.
The longtime scout is still a scout at heart. His picks are his babies. Each of them presents limitless potential. Hit on them, and his team is set for perennial success.
Obviously, the Jets haven’t had much success in the draft lately. That’s what landed Douglas the job. The Jets have just five players (Marcus Maye, Sam Darnold, Nathan Shepherd, Chris Herndon and Foley Fatukasi) remaining from their 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 drafts. There’s a chance Darnold is off that list in the coming weeks. That’s horrible.
Douglas believes he can turn the Jets’ fortune around. This year, he has quite a few opportunities to do so. The Jets hold six picks within the first four rounds and five within the top 100. That’s … quite a lot.
So who might Douglas be looking to take?
Every NFL writer at The Athletic has pieced together a team-centric, seven-round mock draft. We used Pro Football Focus’ mock draft simulator. Trades, in this case, were turned off.
Who did the Jets end up with?
Here’s the breakdown.
First round, No. 2
The pick: Zach Wilson, QB, BYU
Selected over: Penei Sewell (OT, Oregon), Justin Fields (QB, Ohio State), Ja’Marr Chase (WR, LSU), Trey Lance (QB, NDSU)
Why? Wilson silenced most of his doubters with an outstanding performance at his pro day. His arm talent is next-level. Obviously, there’s not much he can do for those who question his chances of NFL success because he didn’t play against top-tier collegiate talent, but his skill set marries Mike LaFleur’s offense perfectly. That scheme wants a quarterback who can make throws on the run and off platform, avoid the turnover and stretch the field. Wilson checks all three boxes. If the Jets don’t draft Wilson, their only other real option is trading back. Considering the 49ers, who moved from No. 12 to No. 3, didn’t even call New York about the No. 2 pick, it’s clear Douglas doesn’t plan to deal it. The Jets will take Wilson, trade Darnold to the highest bidder and begin to build around their new young quarterback.
First round, No. 23
The pick: Asante Samuel Jr., CB, Florida State
Selected over: Jayson Oweh (DE, Penn State), Azeez Ojulari (DE, Georgia), Teven Jenkins (OT, Oklahoma State), Elijah Moore (WR, Mississippi)
Why? Douglas seems to have gone out of his way not to sign a cornerback. That’s likely because he didn’t believe players at that position were worth the money they got, and he plans to draft one in the early rounds. Samuel falling to the Jets at No. 23 would be a very, very good thing. The 5-foot-10, 184-pound junior allowed just 19 completions on 32 targets last season. Quarterbacks had a 46.2 rating when throwing his way. He’ll slide in as a starter from Day 1.
Second round, No. 34
The pick: Wyatt Davis, G, Ohio State
Selected over: Carlos Basham Jr. (DE, Wake Forest), Walker Little (OT, Stanford), Pat Freiermuth (TE, Penn State)
Why? Guard is the other position Douglas ignored in free agency. He was interested in Joe Thuney but knew he never stood a chance of signing him once the Chiefs got involved. Davis is among the best pure guards in the draft, and he draws many comparisons to Kevin Zeitler. He was a little bit off last season, allowing three sacks and seven hurries, but he has potential and his skill set fits in a zone-blocking scheme well.
Third round, No. 66
The pick: Creed Humphrey, G/C, Oklahoma
Selected over: Javonte Williams (RB, North Carolina), Joseph Ossai (DE, Texas), Najee Harris (RB, Alabama), Tylan Wallace (WR, Oklahoma State)
Why? Drafting linemen back-to-back seems like a foreign concept considering the Jets’ past regimes, but Humphrey’s value is too good to pass up. He played center at Oklahoma, but many scouts believe he has the ability to play guard as well. Humphrey played 401 pass-block snaps last year and didn’t allow a sack. The Jets like Connor McGovern at center. Humphrey could start his career at guard, then move to center once the Jets move on from McGovern.
Third round, No. 86
The pick: Thomas Graham Jr., CB, Oregon
Selected over: Rashad Weaver (DE, Pittsburgh), Ben St-Juste (CB, Minnesota), Cameron Sample (DE, Tulane)
Why? The Jets can probably go elsewhere with this pick if they end up signing Richard Sherman or another corner, but until that happens, expect Douglas to draft at least two players at the position. At 5-foot-11 and 197 pounds, Graham has decent size and athletic ability. He’s not very fast, but he doesn’t have to be in Robert Saleh’s two-deep zone. Bonus: He can play inside and out.
Fourth round, No. 107
The pick: Brevin Jordan, TE, Miami
Selected over: Ben Cleveland (G, Georgia), Amon-Ra St. Brown (WR, USC), Seth Williams (WR, Auburn), Quincy Roche (DE, Miami)
Why? Not all weapons have to be wide receivers. Jordan caught 38 passes for 576 yards and seven touchdowns last season and is considered one of the fastest tight ends in the class. He’s also a beast after he catches the football. Pro Football Focus credited him with 21 broken tackles on 105 career catches. Jordan needs to improve his ball skills, but for an offense that will emphasize the tight end, he’d pair nicely with fellow Hurricanes alum Chris Herndon.
Fifth round, No. 146
The pick: Chris Rumph II, DE, Duke
Selected over: Spencer Brown (OT, Northern Iowa), Kary Vincent Jr. (CB, LSU)
Why? Teams can take some chances once they get to this point in the draft. Rumph is a bit of a hybrid defensive end/outside linebacker. He’s had a lot of pass-rush disruption, though, recording 14.5 sacks the last two years. Rumph might not play much this year but he can learn behind Vinny Curry before stepping in as a situational rusher in 2022.
Fifth round, No. 154
The pick: Jonathan Adams Jr., WR, Arkansas State
Selected over: KJ Stepherson (WR, Jacksonville State), Patrick Johnson (DE, Tulane), James Wiggins (S, Cincinnati)
Why? The Jets already have two big-bodied, 6-foot-3 wide receivers in Denzel Mims and Corey Davis, so why not add a third? Adams, who weighs 220 pounds, is coming off a season with 79 catches, 1,111 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Sixth round, No. 186
The pick: Jaret Patterson, RB, Buffalo
Selected over: Jaylen Twyman (DE, Pittsburgh), Rhamondre Stevenson (RB, Oklahoma), Marco Wilson (CB, Florida)
Why? The Jets could go in a number of directions, but Patterson translates perfectly to LaFleur’s offense. The Jets don’t need star power at the position to have success. It’s a zone-blocking scheme, so LaFleur wants guys with the quickness to get to a spot, then cut up the field. That’s Patterson, who rushed for 3,884 yards and 52 touchdowns during his three seasons at Buffalo.
The Athletic 7 mock draft: After Zach Wilson, needs at CB, on O-line are answered
Connor Hughes
In case you haven’t heard, Joe Douglas wants to build the Jets through the draft. It’d be hard to believe you haven’t heard that, though, considering the number of times Douglas has said it since the Jets named him their general manager.
The longtime scout is still a scout at heart. His picks are his babies. Each of them presents limitless potential. Hit on them, and his team is set for perennial success.
Obviously, the Jets haven’t had much success in the draft lately. That’s what landed Douglas the job. The Jets have just five players (Marcus Maye, Sam Darnold, Nathan Shepherd, Chris Herndon and Foley Fatukasi) remaining from their 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 drafts. There’s a chance Darnold is off that list in the coming weeks. That’s horrible.
Douglas believes he can turn the Jets’ fortune around. This year, he has quite a few opportunities to do so. The Jets hold six picks within the first four rounds and five within the top 100. That’s … quite a lot.
So who might Douglas be looking to take?
Every NFL writer at The Athletic has pieced together a team-centric, seven-round mock draft. We used Pro Football Focus’ mock draft simulator. Trades, in this case, were turned off.
Who did the Jets end up with?
Here’s the breakdown.
First round, No. 2
The pick: Zach Wilson, QB, BYU
Selected over: Penei Sewell (OT, Oregon), Justin Fields (QB, Ohio State), Ja’Marr Chase (WR, LSU), Trey Lance (QB, NDSU)
Why? Wilson silenced most of his doubters with an outstanding performance at his pro day. His arm talent is next-level. Obviously, there’s not much he can do for those who question his chances of NFL success because he didn’t play against top-tier collegiate talent, but his skill set marries Mike LaFleur’s offense perfectly. That scheme wants a quarterback who can make throws on the run and off platform, avoid the turnover and stretch the field. Wilson checks all three boxes. If the Jets don’t draft Wilson, their only other real option is trading back. Considering the 49ers, who moved from No. 12 to No. 3, didn’t even call New York about the No. 2 pick, it’s clear Douglas doesn’t plan to deal it. The Jets will take Wilson, trade Darnold to the highest bidder and begin to build around their new young quarterback.
First round, No. 23
The pick: Asante Samuel Jr., CB, Florida State
Selected over: Jayson Oweh (DE, Penn State), Azeez Ojulari (DE, Georgia), Teven Jenkins (OT, Oklahoma State), Elijah Moore (WR, Mississippi)
Why? Douglas seems to have gone out of his way not to sign a cornerback. That’s likely because he didn’t believe players at that position were worth the money they got, and he plans to draft one in the early rounds. Samuel falling to the Jets at No. 23 would be a very, very good thing. The 5-foot-10, 184-pound junior allowed just 19 completions on 32 targets last season. Quarterbacks had a 46.2 rating when throwing his way. He’ll slide in as a starter from Day 1.
Second round, No. 34
The pick: Wyatt Davis, G, Ohio State
Selected over: Carlos Basham Jr. (DE, Wake Forest), Walker Little (OT, Stanford), Pat Freiermuth (TE, Penn State)
Why? Guard is the other position Douglas ignored in free agency. He was interested in Joe Thuney but knew he never stood a chance of signing him once the Chiefs got involved. Davis is among the best pure guards in the draft, and he draws many comparisons to Kevin Zeitler. He was a little bit off last season, allowing three sacks and seven hurries, but he has potential and his skill set fits in a zone-blocking scheme well.
Third round, No. 66
The pick: Creed Humphrey, G/C, Oklahoma
Selected over: Javonte Williams (RB, North Carolina), Joseph Ossai (DE, Texas), Najee Harris (RB, Alabama), Tylan Wallace (WR, Oklahoma State)
Why? Drafting linemen back-to-back seems like a foreign concept considering the Jets’ past regimes, but Humphrey’s value is too good to pass up. He played center at Oklahoma, but many scouts believe he has the ability to play guard as well. Humphrey played 401 pass-block snaps last year and didn’t allow a sack. The Jets like Connor McGovern at center. Humphrey could start his career at guard, then move to center once the Jets move on from McGovern.
Third round, No. 86
The pick: Thomas Graham Jr., CB, Oregon
Selected over: Rashad Weaver (DE, Pittsburgh), Ben St-Juste (CB, Minnesota), Cameron Sample (DE, Tulane)
Why? The Jets can probably go elsewhere with this pick if they end up signing Richard Sherman or another corner, but until that happens, expect Douglas to draft at least two players at the position. At 5-foot-11 and 197 pounds, Graham has decent size and athletic ability. He’s not very fast, but he doesn’t have to be in Robert Saleh’s two-deep zone. Bonus: He can play inside and out.
Fourth round, No. 107
The pick: Brevin Jordan, TE, Miami
Selected over: Ben Cleveland (G, Georgia), Amon-Ra St. Brown (WR, USC), Seth Williams (WR, Auburn), Quincy Roche (DE, Miami)
Why? Not all weapons have to be wide receivers. Jordan caught 38 passes for 576 yards and seven touchdowns last season and is considered one of the fastest tight ends in the class. He’s also a beast after he catches the football. Pro Football Focus credited him with 21 broken tackles on 105 career catches. Jordan needs to improve his ball skills, but for an offense that will emphasize the tight end, he’d pair nicely with fellow Hurricanes alum Chris Herndon.
Fifth round, No. 146
The pick: Chris Rumph II, DE, Duke
Selected over: Spencer Brown (OT, Northern Iowa), Kary Vincent Jr. (CB, LSU)
Why? Teams can take some chances once they get to this point in the draft. Rumph is a bit of a hybrid defensive end/outside linebacker. He’s had a lot of pass-rush disruption, though, recording 14.5 sacks the last two years. Rumph might not play much this year but he can learn behind Vinny Curry before stepping in as a situational rusher in 2022.
Fifth round, No. 154
The pick: Jonathan Adams Jr., WR, Arkansas State
Selected over: KJ Stepherson (WR, Jacksonville State), Patrick Johnson (DE, Tulane), James Wiggins (S, Cincinnati)
Why? The Jets already have two big-bodied, 6-foot-3 wide receivers in Denzel Mims and Corey Davis, so why not add a third? Adams, who weighs 220 pounds, is coming off a season with 79 catches, 1,111 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Sixth round, No. 186
The pick: Jaret Patterson, RB, Buffalo
Selected over: Jaylen Twyman (DE, Pittsburgh), Rhamondre Stevenson (RB, Oklahoma), Marco Wilson (CB, Florida)
Why? The Jets could go in a number of directions, but Patterson translates perfectly to LaFleur’s offense. The Jets don’t need star power at the position to have success. It’s a zone-blocking scheme, so LaFleur wants guys with the quickness to get to a spot, then cut up the field. That’s Patterson, who rushed for 3,884 yards and 52 touchdowns during his three seasons at Buffalo.
