November 20, 2021: The Ohio State Buckeyes’ Garrett Wilson, #5, takes on the Michigan State Spartans at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo courtesy of Getty Images/Gregory Shamus).
The New York Jets have addressed several key concerns this offseason, but there is still work to be done in the NFL Draft.
Since the last time we published a mock draft for the New York Jets, a lot has changed. Laken Tomlinson, D.J. Reed, C.J. Uzomah, and Tahir Whitehead were all signed by the team’s general manager, Joe Douglas, in the free-agent market.
The Jets were also interested in Tyreek Hill before being turned down by the Miami Dolphins, so there’s a chance that New York could pull off a significant trade before the draft if it can locate an impact wide receiver to help Zach Wilson progress. Here’s how the Jets may address their remaining needs in the draft, assuming all of their picks stay put.
New York Jets Mock Draft – First Round
Kayvon Thibodeaux
DEOregon
Douglas and head coach Robert Saleh recently spoke with the media and stated that hitting the quarterback is one of the best ways to defend against a $30 million receiver.
The Jets were also one of the top bidders on Chandler Jones in free agency before he chose the Raiders, indicating that they would use this pick to fix their edge rush.
Thibodeaux’s motivation has been questioned as his value has slipped from a surefire top pick at the start of the season to the possibility of falling out of the Top 10 entirely.
New York will do a lot of research on Thibodeaux, but his skill is still unmatched, giving the Jets a chance to build a powerful pass rush by pairing him with Carl Lawson.
Garrett Wilson
WROhio State
If the Jets want to tempt a team looking for a quarterback to move up to 10, this pick may be traded, but if they stay there, they can meet their desire for an X-receiver here.
Because of his exceptional speed, Wilson of Ohio State is the top wide receiver prospect in the draft.
Wilson, along with Corey Davis, Elijah Moore, and Braxton Berrios, would provide the Jets with a broad selection of weapons to operate Mike LaFleur’s system successfully. Using the 10th pick to draft a wide receiver makes a lot of sense.
