New York Jets: Matt Miller 7-round 2020 mock draft (pre NFL Combine)

Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller released a monster 7-round 2020 mock draft. Here are the full results for the New York Jets + a report card on each pick.

With the 2019-20 NFL season officially over it’s time to look ahead to the 2020 NFL Draft in earnest. Congratulations to the Kansas City Chiefs who ended a 50+ year Super Bowl drought by achieving football immortality.

Perhaps the New York Jets are the logical next choice to end their 50+ year Super Bowl drought. If the team is serious about contending for championships, it all starts with the NFL draft and building from the ground up.

On Monday Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller dropped his first full seven-round mock draft. This mock draft featured 255 picks (including projected compensatory selections) for each of the 32 NFL franchises.

Here are the full results of the New York Jets’ picks made by Matt Miller and a full report card on how he did. We based our grading system on team need, value, and who he selected considering the options that were still on the table.

Next: Day 1 results, report card

First-round

“New general manager Joe Douglas knows he has to build an offensive line that can protect Sam Darnold. That’s why he was hired.

The best news for the Jets has been the rise of Mekhi Becton; which in turn will push down other talented offensive linemen. That’s the case with Georgia’s Andrew Thomas, who for much of the season was believed to be the top tackle in the class.

Thomas played left tackle for the Bulldogs and knows the drill. He’s coming from a pro-style offense and has experience against top-tier pass-rushers in the SEC. Thomas is ready to step in and protect Darnold.

With two picks in Round 3, the Jets can address needs at cornerback, edge-rusher and wide receiver. Thomas has to be the guy if he’s on the board at No. 11.” – Matt Miller of Bleacher Report

Without a doubt, we have to give Matt Miller a fat juicy A+ for his mocked selection of offensive tackle Andrew Thomas to the New York Jets. With this pick, the Jets have filled arguably their greatest need (left tackle) for the next decade-plus.

The other three offensive tackles went in the top-10: Jedrick Wills Jr (4th overall to the New York Giants), Mekhi Becton (8th overall to the Arizona Cardinals), and Tristan Wirfs (10th overall to the Cleveland Browns).

So in this specific simulation, the Jets luck out by landing arguably the top offensive tackle on the board (depending on who you ask). Protecting Sam Darnold has to be priority No. 1 for Joe Douglas and in the first round, he accomplishes that.

Top options still on the board:

• Jerry Jeudy, wide receiver, Alabama
• CeeDee Lamb, wide receiver, Oklahoma
• K’Lavon Chaisson, edge, LSU

Next: Day 2 results, report card

Second round

Bradlee Anae has been a popular mock draft selection to the New York Jets in recent weeks. Anae had a wonderful career with Utah in the PAC-12 registering 29.5 sacks in four years. Although his most recent buzz is due to a Senior Bowl sack party where he secured three sacks and showed a colorful array of pass-rushing moves that’ll make NFL teams drool on draft day.

This is another solid A- grade for Matt Miller, with the first two selections he fixed both sides of the trenches with two rock-solid guys. 

Top options still on the board:

• Tyler Biadasz, center, Wisconsin
• Michael Pittman Jr., wide receiver, USC
• Jonathan Taylor, running back, Wisconsin

Third round

Thanks to the Leonard Williams trade in 2019, the Jets secured a top-70 selection from the New York Giants. With that selection, the Jets continue to improve the offense around Sam Darnold.

When you look at Bryan Edwards’ collegiate production at South Carolina, it’s pretty pedestrian: he’s never had a 1,000-yard receiving campaign.

Although what Bryan does bring to the table is size (6-foot-3, 215 pounds). With those tools he’s considered a red-zone weapon, but there are concerns about his ability to separate. Edwards doesn’t have a fully developed route tree and lacks agility.

Because the wide receiver depth is so good in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Jets can snag a guy like Bryan Edwards in the third round. This is a B- selection because the Jets still need a No. 1 wide receiver and it’s less than certain that Edwards can be that. 

Top options still on the board:

• Bryce Hall, cornerback, Virginia
• Josh Uche, EDGE, Michigan
• Lucas Niang, offensive tackle, TCU

Cam Akers is a thick dude at 5-foot-11, 212 pounds. Has all the talent in the world coming out of Florida State and on top of his rushing prowess he has really developed as a pass-catcher out of the backfield.

During his three years with the Seminoles, he often was forced to make chicken salad out of chicken s***. The FSU offensive line was quite frankly piss poor for much of his collegiate tenure which explains some of the inconsistent production.

Cam Akers has the frame to be a three-down running back in the pros and his explosion will serve him well in the NFL. This is a worthwhile gamble for the Jets in the third round.

Love the pick, there were other running backs available earlier in the draft that would’ve tempted me, but really love the value of Cam Akers here with the 2nd of two third-round picks. A- on this selection of Cam Akers. 

Top options still on the board:

• Van Jefferson, wide receiver, Florida
• Matt Hennessy, interior offensive lineman, Temple
• Matt Peart, offensive tackle, UConn

Next: Day 3 results, report card

Fourth round

For the second time in this draft, the New York Jets go to the trenches. On top of the team’s need at offensive tackle, they desperately need help on the interior.

Nick Harris out of Washington has versatility (can play both guard and center), but he’s a smaller guy at (6-foot-1, 293 pounds). On one hand, that’ll help him in pulling situations getting to the next level of the defense, but on the other hand that will make him susceptible to bigger dudes in the trenches trying to take his lunch money.

With Ryan Kalil set for free agency, Kelechi Osemele already cut, and possibly Brian Winters gone as a cap casualty, the Jets need to improve the trenches on the inside and out. Harris does have superb athleticism and smarts that perhaps can make up for the gap in size.

The versatility of Nick Harris is highly valuable especially with all the injuries the New York Jets suffered in 2019. This is another high grade for the Matt Miller, I’ll give him a B+. 

Top options still on the board:

• Devin Duvernay, wide receiver, Texas
• Netane Muti, interior offensive line, Fresno State
• Alton Robinson, EDGE, Syracuse

Fifth-round

Kindle Vildor comes from such a small school (Georgia Southern, Sun Belt Conference) that it didn’t even register on our FanSided graphic.

Despite the small-school representation, Kindle Vildor brings some juice to the 2020 NFL Draft. Vildor has great production (nine interceptions in the past three years) and he brings an energy to the football field.

While the production is fantastic, Jordan Reid of The Draft Network notes that he can often be caught “with his hand in the cookie jar”. In other words, he can be baited biting on a short route and by virtue can get beat over the top.

This is a sneaky good selection and a good risk vs reward selection in the fifth round. With that being said, I would’ve preferred Trey Adams at this spot. Adams could be a franchise piece on an offensive line, it all depends on the medical. Matt Miller receives a C+ here. 

Top options still on the board:

• Trey Adams, offensive tackle, Washington
• Steven Montez, quarterback, Colorado
• AJ Dillon, running back, Boston College

Sixth-round

Juwan Johnson has some intriguing traits (6-foot-4, 231 pounds) and an interesting past. Johnson spent the first four years of his collegiate career with Penn State before transferring over to Oregon.

On paper it made sense, Juwan Johnson would be able to finally to pair his rare physical gifts with some incredible tangible production in the PAC-12. Sadly it never worked out, he only played in eight games and recorded marginal numbers (30 receptions for 467 yards and four touchdowns).

Johnson technically has a ton of football experience, despite that he lacks development in his route tree. Although the good news is the majority of his struggles are completely fixable with the right coaching staff and the right environment.

This is a sixth-round pick, so you won’t normally find Pro Football Hall of Famers here unless you’re the New England Patriots selecting Tom Brady. With that being said, another worthwhile gamble late, Juwan Johnson could be a future No. 1 wide receiver or he could be a bust. C+ to Matt Miller on this selection. 

Top options still on the board:

• Cole McDonald, quarterback, Hawaii
• Shane Lemieux, interior offensive lineman, Oregon
• Aaron Fuller, wide receiver, Washington

Seventh-round

The New York Jets have plenty of tight ends so the Kyle Markway selection is a bit odd on the surface. Although the stranger part is the Jets actually don’t own a seventh-round pick. They traded it away this past offseason for guard Alex Lewis of the Baltimore Ravens.

Matt Miller of Bleacher Report revealed on social media they used “Tankathon” as the source to put together the skeleton for his seven-round mock draft. The 2020 seventh-round pick the Jets traded away was reportedly “conditional” but since Alex Lewis made the final 53 and even started a handful of games down the stretch, it seems like that met any provisions that came along with the trade.