New York Jets: 7-round 2020 mock draft, post-Senior Bowl edition

With the Senior Bowl officially behind us, it’s time for another fresh 7-round New York Jets 2020 mock draft. Here are the full results.

The Senior Bowl is one of the annual major offseason milestones leading to the NFL draft. With the 2020 version officially in the books, it’s time for a brand spanking new 7-round New York Jets mock draft.

Our first full 2020 mock draft was released shortly after the 2019 NFL season. If you’d like you can review that here.

To execute this mock draft we’ll be utilizing The Draft Network’s “mock draft machine”. It’s a unique feature that allows individuals to perform mock drafts for their favorite teams.

There are two different settings you can use for the “mock draft machine”: TDN’s Predictive Board and TDN’s Player Rankings. Each of these settings offers unique experiences. Since different players will be available in each simulation we’ll be running two mock drafts simultaneously.

In other words, you’ll get double the content in this juicy full 7-round mock draft. In addition, the results of the 2020 Senior Bowl will certainly affect which players are selected by the New York Jets in this mock draft.

Without further adieu, we’ll go slide-by-slide through every round that Gang Green holds a draft pick in, enjoy!

Next: 1. First round

It's not normal for a 6'7, 370 pound guy to get to his spot this quick.

I could watch @UofLFootball OT Mekhi Becton and @BigDuke50 do their thing all day. pic.twitter.com/95ELAywFv2

— Bobby Belt (@BobbyBeltTX) January 24, 2020

First-round (No. 11 overall)

TDN’s Predictive Board

The Mekhi Becton hype train has arrived earlier than expected. If you remember in our first mock draft, Becton was available in round two, well things have changed since then.

NFL draft stock is a volatile thing, anything can change it whether for better or for worse. Recently it’s been for the better. NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah revealed his first mock draft and in it, he mocked Becton to the New York Giants with the fourth overall pick making him the first offensive lineman off the board.

Becton has mammoth size and offensive line experts say he’s got nimble feet that will translate at the next level. His combination of size and movement skills is “rare” and with several months to go before the NFL draft, there’s no guarantee he’ll be available with the 11th overall pick, but he was in this simulation so I ran up to the proverbial podium.

TDN’s Player Rankings

Now, this pick understandably will upset probably every New York Jets fan on the planet. If Simmons was actually selected on draft day, that would make him the 12th defensive player selected in the first round by Gang Green since 2007.

Isaiah Simmons may be listed at linebacker, but that’s a disservice to what he provides. He should just be listed as a football player because that’s what he is. Simmons can line up at linebacker, safety, corner, and has an innate ability to rush the passer.

Essentially he’d be what Anthony Barr was supposed to be, but even more versatile. Gregg Williams is creative enough to find ways to plug Simmons in to make plays. Simmons’ NFL draft range is as wide as any player in the first round. He could go as high as third overall or he could fall into the teens.

Next: 2. Second round

Second-round (No. 48 overall)

TDN’s Predictive Board

We mentioned that the uniqueness of this mock draft is the post “Senior Bowl” flavor. Well, the most dominant player in the 2020 Senior Bowl was Bradlee Anae of Utah.

Somehow he took his game to another level against the top competition in all of college football. Bradlee finished the day with three sacks and a bunch of other impressive plays that didn’t show up in the box sheet.

Anae dominated in practice leading up to the event and showed his entire toolbox: counter moves, swim move, bull rush, whatever he had to use, Bradlee did. Right now he’s available in the second round, but with that kind of performance and considering his position is a premium in the NFL, he could push into the late first conversation.

TDN’s Player Rankings

Josh Jones is another huge riser from the Senior Bowl and could’ve pushed himself into the first-round conversation. Since in this simulation we went defense with the first pick, the Jets can’t wait any longer to address the void along the offensive line.

At 6-foot-5, 311 pounds he’s got great size and length. A lot of draft analysts question his ability to play right away in the NFL, but he shut up a lot of his haters at Senior Bowl practice and in the game on Saturday. Jones has a violent punch and has starting experience.

Next: 3. Third round

Van Jefferson….#SeniorBowl pic.twitter.com/v5JnbWUKzb

— Austin Silvey (@SilveyESP) January 24, 2020

Third-round (No. 68 overall)

TDN’s Predictive Board

The Utah defense was so good that the Jets could realistically double and maybe even triple dip in it during the 2020 NFL Draft. The team went 11-3 on the season and were led by a stout unit on the defensive side of the ball.

The 6-foot, 190-pound corner is a versatile chess piece that can play outside and can rush the passer. That versatility is something New York Jets defensive coordinator Gregg Williams covets.

When you watch the tape Jaylon Johnson is a super aggressive player to a fault. He can be fooled on double moves because he’s always trying to make a big play.

TDN’s Player Rankings

You’re going to hear about this guy a lot throughout this process. Van Jefferson, wide receiver out of Florida is the son of New York Jets wide receivers coach Shawn Jefferson. You can tell that Van is the son of a coach, he obviously picked up a lot of the nuances of the position.

Jefferson’s bread and butter is his footwork and route running. He’s another guy that had a fantastic Senior Bowl and will continue to rise up NFL draft boards. A family reunion between the Jeffersons would be really cool, but this wouldn’t just be a feel-good story, this would be a legitimate draft pick who would have a very bright future with Gang Green.

Third-round (No. 79 overall)

TDN’s Predictive Board

If you watched the National Championship game between the Clemson Tigers and the LSU Tigers you saw a sneak peek of what Clyde Edwards-Helaire brings to the table. With all the running backs that are aging on the roster, it’s time for a youth movement.

Clyde may be small in stature (5-foot-8, 209 pounds), but he brings a lot of heart and passion. On top of his abilities as a runner, he’s a great receiver out of the backfield. He has the tools to be a three-down back at the next level, but some scouts question how he’ll hold up in pass protection at the next level.

If you have a running back that can’t pass protect at the next level, it leaves your quarterback vulnerable to taking shots when that running back is in the game. After a tumultuous 2019 where Darnold got battered, beaten, and bruised that could be a deal-breaker. Although that’s something he can improve on at the next level.

TDN’s Player Rankings

Wait… LAMAR JACKSON? Let’s just get that joke out of the way so we can focus on the player. Despite sharing the same name with the league MVP, this Lamar Jackson out of Nebraska can carry his own name just fine.

Jackson is a big boy at 6-foot-2, 206 pounds and uses his lanky-ness when he’s in coverage. Also, he’s a very willing tackler and doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty in the run game.

We have good news and bad news on Jackson. The good news is he’s very solid at what he does, but the problem is that’s all he does. Jackson is strictly an outside corner so he doesn’t necessarily have the versatility to float all over the formation.

Next: 4. Fourth round

Fourth-round (No. 110 overall)

TDN’s Predictive Board

In this mock draft, the New York Jets have added some beef on the OL (Becton) and a nice tailback (Edwards-Helaire), but now it’s time to add some size to the wide receiving core. Collin Johnson is a 6-foot-6, 220 pound freak of nature.

Although during his time with the Texas Longhorns it seems like the coaches got lazy with him. They seemingly just looked at his size and said hey go get the ball in the red zone, but they didn’t do a good job of developing him as a complete player.

That resulted in his production not necessarily being as good as it should’ve been on the college level. In addition to that, you’ll need to get this talented piece of clay in your training room and on the practice field to maximize his true talents.

TDN’s Player Rankings

In the second round of this mock draft, the team added some help at tackle in the second round (Josh Jones), but now it’s time to add some brutus beefcake to the interior. Shane brings that in spades (6-foot-4, 316 pounds).

Shane isn’t overly quick and also can get thrown off balance, but what he does bring to the table is excellent upper body strength that’ll help on his initial punch off the line of scrimmage. He’s a violent dude and seems to enjoy pushing people around for a living.

The New York Jets need help all over the interior of its offensive line at both guard spots and at center.

Next: 5. Fifth round

Fifth-round (No. 140 overall)

TDN’s Predictive Board

An argument could be made that the New York Jets should take several offensive linemen in the 2020 NFL Draft. Again it really depends on what this team does in free agency, which’ll greatly shift what direction the team takes in April.

Although at this moment, the team needs starters at left and right tackle, at least one guard spot, and center. Not including depth across the trenches entirely.

The 6-foot-6, 310-pound offensive tackle Ezra Cleveland is actually a little light for his frame. Perhaps in a strength and conditioning NFL program, he can add some beef to fill it out.

Although his relatively lightweight for his 6-foot-6 body actually helps him because when he swings out and gets to the next level of the defense on run and screenplays, he’s actually quite effective.

TDN’s Player Rankings

It’s paramount for the New York Jets to invest in its quarterback room. Perhaps that can come from free agency this March considering the wide array of options that’ll be available.

Nate Stanley out of Iowa is an interesting dude. He has zero NFL draft buzz right now mostly because he hasn’t participated in any college all-star games, but don’t let his lack of buzz deter you from your interest.

The 6-foot-4, 243-pound quarterback is naturally a pocket passer. Nate has above-average arm talent and doesn’t make a ton of mistakes. Brings a maturity and leadership ability that’ll be welcomed in the quarterback room.

Next: 6. Sixth round

Sixth-round (No. 171 overall)

TDN’s Predictive Board

The New York Jets need a backup quarterback badly. Anthony Gordon was the only quarterback in the Senior Bowl to throw multiple touchdown passes. Coming from Washington State there were a lot of questions about the gimmicky offense they run and how he’d translate.

Gordon didn’t start in college in 2018 because some guy named Garnder Minshew took over the reins. Which explains why Anthony didn’t see the field, it wasn’t because he’s not good enough, it was due to Minshew being so good.

Anthony could be the long-term backup answer behind Sam Darnold for 2020 and the future. That’s worth a late-round investment.

TDN’s Player Rankings

The New York Jets have Le’Veon Bell, but he’s only getting older. When you look at the depth chart at the position, the team needs someone to build around for the future.

AJ Dillon is 6-foot and 250 pounds. He’s a bigger dude but still maintains very solid speed for his size. A physically imposing back who carries a vicious stiff arm and a powerful lower body. For as great and dynamic of a runner he is, that’s about all he brings.

Dillon offers little to nothing in the receiving game (21 career receptions), but in today’s NFL, everyone goes with a committee so that can be overlooked. In the famous words of New York Giants’ general manager Dave Gettleman, the juice is worth the squeeze with this addition.