What Jets are getting in 3rd-round pick Chuma Edoga

Get to know the New York Jets’ third-round pick in the 2019 NFL draft, USC offensive tackle Chuma Edoga.

Heading into this year’s draft, it was no secret the Jets needed to upgrade their offensive line. After improving one of their guard spots by acquiring Kelechi Osemele via trade from the Oakland Raiders, the Jets’ top priority in the draft was finding a promising tackle prospect.

They hope they’ve found that in Edoga, a high-upside player who still has his best football ahead of him.

An impressive athlete for his size, Egoda’s physical tools and potential are the big reasons why he landed on Day 2 of the 2019 draft. His film showed plenty of inconsistency, but his flashes of brilliance were enough to convince the Jets he can be molded into a starting-caliber blocker sooner than later.

Edoga measured in at 6-3, 308 pounds, making him a bit shorter than your typical NFL offensive tackle. But his athleticism and arm length should still allow him to be effective at that spot, especially if NFL coaching can smooth out the rough spots in his game and polish his inconsistent technique.

While he spent two years as a full-time starter at right tackle for the Trojans, multiple injuries kept Edoga from reaching his full potential at the college level. Durability questions are certainly something he’ll have to answer as he makes the transition to the pro level.

There could also be questions about Edoga’s maturity level, considering he was once suspended by the Trojans for a violation of team rules. Edoga knows his career at USC could have been smoother, and he’s excited to get a fresh start, speaking to team reporter Ethan Greenberg about Jets head coach Adam Gase and offensive line coach Frank Pollack:

I loved them. They just wanted to give me some words of advice. I had a little rocky career at USC, but they were really just stressing that you have to turn over a new leaf and create a new you.

There are plenty of ways Edoga needs to improve before he can be expected to make a significant impact for the Jets, but if he eventually develops into a quality starter at either tackle spot, he’ll be well worth the investment of a late third-round pick.

What do you think of the Chuma Edoga pick? Give us your take in the comment section!