New York Jets 2014 Full Mock Draft

With a game left in the regular season and nothing to look forward to but College Bowl Games, a Senior Bowl, and combine in February, this is the draft I want to see for the Jets. (Highlights are below each player’s entry.)

Nov 16, 2013; Arlington, TX, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders tight end Jace Amaro (22) sits on the field during the game against the Baylor Bears at AT

Round 1 Pick 14 Jace Amaro TE Texas Tech – There are only 2 starting quality tight ends, Amaro and Eric Ebron. Amaro gets my vote because he is 6’6 while Ebron goes 6’4. Also Amaro has two years of solid statistics that exceed Ebron’s. He also stepped his game up against top 25 college teams, and didn’t put up big stats in only garbage games. They both run about a 4.6, I’d be good with either over Sammy Watkins, but Amaro gets the nod. The receiver class is deeper, and they can get a starter in round two.

Round 2 Jordan Matthews WR Vanderbilt – Everyone thinks the Jets need a big “playmaker”. The Jets need four receivers, not one. They need all four receivers to be good or excellent route runners that can catch passes away from their body. When you try to get playmakers and develop them, you wind up with Stephen Hills that are not natural receivers. Matthews is a 1st-2nd round fringe player. He will be pushed down to the 2nd round for two reasons. The first is that everyone will jump on the workout warriors which he will not be tops in the combine, and the other reason is he is a senior, and again that “potential” or “ceiling” label will get him. I have a feeling he will be a 2nd rounder. If he does the Jets need to grab him. He is 6’3, can high point grab any pass, runs great routes, has good hands, and great instincts. The last two seasons alone he has 200+ catches, 2600 yards, and is setting SEC records. That is the type of receiver the Jets need, one that makes continuous catches rather than one or two big plays a game.

Round 3 (from Tampa Bay) Donte Moncrief WR Ole Miss – I’m tabbing offense early, and this completes the trifecta. Moncrief is a better receiving prospect than 1st round guys like Marquise Lee or Watkins. He runs great routes, and he has a solid 6’3 220 pound body, and he looks the part. Go and Youtube Moncriefs games against top 25 teams like LSU(7) or Texas(14) from 2012 when they had 1st round defensive backs like Eric Reid (LSU) or Kenny Vacarro (Texas). Moncrief repeatedly torched those secondaries. He does everything well, and I expect him to be a 1st or 2nd rounder by the time the evaluation process is done, rather than the 3rd round grade he has now. I watched him beat press coverage with ease, and abuse defenders giving him even a five yard cushion. He is the closest thing to Josh Gordon of the Cleveland Browns in this draft. He makes a lot of acrobatic catches, and shields defensive backs from the ball to make great hand catches routinely. The best thing he excels at is double moves and hitch routes.

Round 3 pick 2 Jeremiah Attaochu LB Georgia Tech – This is a 6’2 240 pound beast that is super aggressive. He posted 10 sacks in November alone this past season. For the year he had 13 sacks for 2013 and another 10 sacks in 2012. He’s not a one year wonder. He’s aggressive, he’s a hard hitter, and he’s violent. He reminds me of James Harrison, if Harrison was younger and had 4.6 type speed. Attaochu was used as both a DE and an OLB in 3-4 situations. If the Coples experiment continues, I can see him being the other bookend OLB, with Calvin Pace handing over the reigns to him after one season.

Round 4 Marqueston Huff DB Wyoming – Huff is a 5’11 200 pound tackling machine. He plays FS, but all he does is make tackles. He has 4.4 speed in the secondary, years of experience, and recorded 127 tackles this past season, including a 20 tackle performance. His speed and tackling ability will make he and Antonio Allen interchangeable in both safety positions. He has the type of speed that makes cover 1 or cover 2 looks great for aggressive cornerbacks, because he can cover the field behind them, and enable them to make plays and not worry about getting beaten deep.

Alternate: Stanley Jean-Baptiste DB Nebraska 6’2 220 pound CB/FS

Round 5 Antonio Andrews RB Western Kentucky – More offense is the way to attack this draft. Check out 2013’s most total yards from scrimmage. Adrews is 1st in the nation with 1700 yards rushing and another 500 receiving. Check out 2012. Andrews was 4th in the NCAA in yards with another 1733 yards rushing and 432 yards receiving. He took over for Bobby Rainey who is starting for Tampa Bay right now, and he produced more yardage than Rainey in his WKU days. He is a 6’ 220 pound back that can run and catch passes like no one else. This guy will be a dream come true for Marty Mornhinweg in this type of screen and trap west coast offense. They have a hammer in Ivory, a graceful back in Powell, and Andrews will provide a do it all three down back to groom and can be put in any situation. Screen passes, blocking, running up the middle, he can do everything, and do it well.

Round 6 Jonathan Dowling DB Western Kentucky – Dowling is a 6’3 200 pound playmaker. He intercepted six passes in 2012 and another three passes in 2013 with another 14 passes broken up, a blocked punt, and two touchdowns in that time. Another playmaking defensive back with some size in the 6th round is a bargain. With the new additions the Jets can play some three safety looks as they did the previous seasons, and try to force some more turnovers in the secondary.

Round 7 Jonathan Newsome OLB/DE Ball State – Newsome is a transfer from Ohio State. He’s 6’3 and around 240 pounds. He had 57 tackles to go with eight sacks this year. 2012 he had 51 tackles and another 8.5 sacks. He is playing an undersized DE in college, but is best suited for 3-4 outside linebacker in the NFL. For a 7th round pick, he is a solid choice to fill out the special teams and sub packages. As it stands Garrett McEntyre needs someone to push him off the roster.

That’s my early prediction for 2014’s draft. It is more hopeful than realistic, but I do know that’s a great draft class. The current receiving corps only has two legitimate players in Kerley and Nelson. Hill and Cumberland are sporadic, and Winslow Jr. and Homes won’t be here next year. I put a premium on route running, hands, and body control, and these two receivers are tops at that. They also don’t have to make all the catches because a three wide-set will allow Jace Amaro and Jeremy Kerley to eat up the majority of the catches with Matthews and Moncrief making plays on the outside. I realize playing a season with this many rookies starting is unrealistic; however they can compete with a re-signed David Nelson and Hill for a starting job. Let the best player’s play.

Other than that, a little more help at defensive back, and some more depth at linebacker, and this is a more offensively talented team, and a team with more speed in the secondary and pass rushing ability at linebacker. I leave the line alone, and hope that Austin Howard, Aboushi, and William Campbell continue to develop at guard and tackle.