2019 NFL draft: How the top 2 picks can impact Jets at No. 3

The New York Jets own the third overall pick for the second year in a row, and once again, the first two picks will have a gigantic effect on what the Jets walk away with.

Last year, the first two picks resulted in the New York Jets getting the quarterback that everybody expected to go first overall, Sam Darnold. A last minute switch-up by the Cleveland Browns resulted in Darnold falling into the Jets’ lap at three. Darnold was regarded by many as the best quarterback prospect of that draft class.

One year later, the Jets are back in the third slot of the draft and just about anything can happen on draft night. Can the Jets luck out and walk away with Nick Bosa? Will they even pick third? Here’s how several scenarios can impact Mike Maccagnan and company at No. 3 overall.

Kyler Murray to the Cardinals

I think we're going to hear about a lot of teams/coaches that like Kyler Murray…

…but I don't think anyone after Arizona is going to have a chance to draft him.

— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) March 4, 2019

It’s possible the Cardinals are in love with Kyler Murray, and they are not afraid to scrap their plans with Josh Rosen and take a quarterback in the first round for the second year in a row. New head coach Kliff Kingsbury has publicly praised Murray’s game, and it will come as a surprise to nearly nobody if he’s a Cardinal come draft night.

This would be a dream come true for the Jets. Murray going first overall would mean the Jets would have a guaranteed choice between two of the three best defensive players in the draft: Nick Bosa, Josh Allen or Quinnen Williams. Bosa would likely go second overall to the San Francisco 49ers, which would leave either Allen or Williams available. Any of these names would be instant stars on the Jets’ defensive front.

Murray being drafted to the Cardinals could also increase the trade value of the third pick. Teams interested in a quarterback typically become impatient during the draft. In fact, four out the five teams who selected a quarterback in round one traded up for the pick that they used to draft said quarterback. The market for Dwayne Haskins could get crazy if teams don’t want to wait.

The Cardinals Don’t Pick Kyler Murray

Say all the Murray hype on the media is just one big smokescreen, and the Cardinals have their eye on either Bosa or Williams. This is certainly a possibility. Not every team is willing to give up on a first-round quarterback one year into his career, especially when he played with a roster as bad as what Rosen played with. Maybe Kingsbury loves Rosen. Maybe he doesn’t, but Bosa would be too good of a talent to pass up. Who knows?

For the Jets, this could be a blessing in disguise. The trade market could explode, and all of a sudden the third pick would be worth much more than what it is now. The Jets could walk away with two first rounders, if they’re lucky.

If the Jets wind up staying at the third slot, this would probably be the worst-case scenario. They’d still walk out with a star player, but it may not be the player of their choice. The 49ers are probably going to take Bosa or Allen, depending on which player is/isn’t picked. This would likely end with the Jets taking Quinnen Williams, which isn’t a bad thing in any way. The only real issue in this scenario is the Jets not having a choice between an edge rusher or an interior defensive lineman.

49ers Trade Down

This doesn’t seem likely at the moment, but anything can happen in the draft. That being said, if this were to happen, Jets fans may have to throw a parade.

The Jets would likely be getting their hands on Nick Bosa, who is considered by most to be the best prospect in the draft. Imagine for the second consecutive year, the player who was at one point the undisputed pick for whatever team wound up with the first overall pick, falls into the Jets’ lap at three? I don’t think Jets fans could walk away any happier.

Again, this probably won’t happen. But if a team wants to jump ahead of the Giants to grab Dwayne Haskins, I think both the 49ers and the Jets would listen to offers. Adding Nick Bosa to the defense would be a dream come true if this were to happen.