Top 4 first-round players to draft if Jets sign Kirk Cousins

If the New York Jets successfully land quarterback Kirk Cousins if he hits free agency, who should they focus on in the 2018 NFL Draft with their No. 6 overall pick? Here are the top four players that would make an immediate impact.

News recently came out that the New York Jets Jets will do “whatever it takes” to get Kirk Cousins in green and white. If the Jets are able to acquire the former Michigan State Spartan then they will have their long-awaited franchise quarterback.

The Jets hold the 6th overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. At least one of the three premiere QB prospects (Josh Rosen, Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold) could very well fall to No. 6. Many mock drafts have the Jets selecting one of those quarterbacks at No. 6 due to the fact that they currently lack a franchise player at the most important position on the team, and have for a long time.

If the Jets are able to land Cousins then they obviously won’t be picking a quarterback with their first-round pick. So if the Jets end up not needing a quarterback when the draft rolls around, what will they do? What should they do?

Let’s take a look at some potential players the Jets could get with the 6th overall pick.

Saquon Barkley

I’m not a believer in the “running backs aren’t valuable enough to be drafted in the top 10” logic. To me, that is nonsense. Ask the Dallas Cowboys and Ezekiel Elliott, or the Los Angeles Rams and Todd Gurley if it is wrong to pick a running back this high. Currently, the Jets starting running back is Bilal Powell. While Powell is certainly not a bad player, he definitely isn’t unreplaceable. If the Jets believe that Saquon Barkley is a “generational talent” which many have labeled him as then they should definitely look to select him if he falls to No. 6.

Minkah Fitzpatrick

Minkah Fitzpatrick is without a doubt the best defensive back in this year’s draft class. He would instantly upgrade the Jets poor cornerback group. Jamal Adams, Minkah Fitzpatrick, and Marcus Maye could give them the best secondary in the NFL for years to come.

Bradley Chubb

The Jets were 28th in the entire league in total sacks this past season. If Bradley Chubb is as good as advertised then that won’t be happening again if he ends up as a Jet in 2018.

Orlando Brown

This is the least flashy of the bunch, but it’s definitely worth mentioning. The Jets offensive line could use a lot of work. Orlando Brown may very well be the best offensive lineman in this year’s draft class. The interesting thing is that if the Jets really wanted Brown (or any other offensive lineman) they could trade down from No. 6, acquire more picks and still get him. Eventually, the Jets will need to address the offensive line.

Cousins will have a very big impact on the Jets offseason as he could very well change the outlook on the whole franchise. This will be a very interesting next few months to see what ultimately happens.

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