NY Jets have perfect 3-round mock draft in Draft Network simulation

The NY Jets may have just enjoyed the perfect 3-round mock draft. Here are the full results and why fans should be hoping this transpires in late April.

Over the next few weeks, you’re going to read plenty of mock drafts but likely none of them will achieve what Senior NFL Draft Analyst Kyle Crabbs of Draft Network did on Monday.

The perfect NY Jets three-round mock draft, the holy grail, quite frankly it’s a dream mock draft scenario that after Gang Green fans read it should pray every night and hope it actually comes to fruition in late April.

In nine straight years, the Jets have gone postseason-less, obviously, that means this team is more than a few pieces away from contending. This offseason Gang Green has to add starters and depth to these position groups in no particular order: backup quarterback, offensive line, cornerback, pass rush, wide receiver, to name a few.

In this full-fledged three-round mock draft from Kyle Crabbs of the Draft Network (which included trades), he checked off every big need the team has on its docket. If the NY Jets were able to actually pull off this haul on the first two days of the 2020 NFL Draft, perhaps they could be contending for the playoffs sooner rather than later.

Next: 1st round

“The New York Jets are rumored to covet coming out of the first round with one of the four top offensive tackles. They get a bonus here in being able to choose between two, and Jedrick Wills is the pick for his mobility. He’s a viable option at either left or right tackle and brings plus skills blocking in space.”

Top players still on the board:

• Andrew Thomas, offensive tackle, Georgia
• Henry Ruggs III, wide receiver, Alabama
• Jerry Jeudy, wide receiver, Alabama
• K’Lavon Chaisson, EDGE, LSU

This situation played out perfectly for the NY Jets. They had their choice of two of the top offensive tackles in Wills or Andrew Thomas out of Georgia. Quite frankly you couldn’t go wrong with either prospect.

In addition to the top offensive linemen still being on the board, a pair of talented Crimson Tide wide receivers were also available. Although barring something crazy in free agency, it’ll be hard to convince the average NY Jets fan that the team should go in any other direction not named offensive line with that first pick, pending of course who is on the board.

The 6-foot-4, 312-pound versatile lineman has a pro player comparison to Jason Peters, per Lance Zierlein of NFL.com. Peters, by the way, has been in the NFL since 2004 and he’s still going strong. If the Jets can get half the player that Peters was, they’ll be in great hands with their 11th overall pick.

Next: 2nd round

“If the Jets aren’t able to lock in Robby Anderson (and even if they are), getting more pass catchers for Darnold can only be a good thing.”

Top players still on the board:

• Isaiah Wilson, offensive tackle, Georgia
• D’Andre Swift, running back, Georgia
• Jonathan Taylor, running back, Wisconsin
• Lloyd Cushenberry III, interior offensive line, LSU

The NY Jets have had crappy luck and poor execution in the second round of the NFL Draft over the last 10 plus years. This time around the NY Jets decide to grab an athletic freak at the wide receiver position. Donovan Peoples-Jones absolutely destroyed the NFL Combine in Indianapolis in 2020.

The 6-foot-2, 212 pound Michigan Wolverine timed a personal best 4.48 40-yard dash, had an insane vertical jump of 44.5″, and finally leap-frogged 139″ in the broad jump. While he checks off every athletic box you’d like when you’re looking for a receiver, he never lived up to his full potential on the field in college.

Peoples-Jones was stymied by poor quarterback play (Shea Patterson) and quite frankly he just didn’t deliver on the hype. Donovan’s three seasons were underwhelming:

2017: 22 receptions for 277  yards and zero touchdowns.

2018: 47 catches for 612 yards and eight touchdowns.

2019:  34 receptions for 438 yards and six touchdowns.

Although the NFL Draft isn’t about what you did in the past, it’s about what you can do in the future and there’s so much untapped potential in DPJ.

When you consider the other players on the board at the time of this selection, the Jets could’ve gone in a few other directions. Cushenberry is plug and play on the interior, either one of the running backs would be immediate contributors (and perhaps long-time starters for the foreseeable future after Le’Veon Bell), and finally, Wilson is another interesting tackle prospect.

Next: 3rd round

“Joshua Uche is a bit undersized but he’s got a potent first step and plenty of bend. That’s a great combination for the Jets, who haven’t had either off the edge for a long time.”

Top players still on the board:

• Matt Hennessy, interior offensive line, Temple
• K.J. Hamler, wide receiver, Penn State
• Jaylon Johnson, cornerback, Utah
• Cam Akers, running back, Florida State

The NY Jets go back to the Michigan wishing well for another talented prospect. Josh Uche is a nasty pass rusher that exploded at the Reese’s Senior Bowl this January. He’d be a nice fit in this Gregg Williams defense as a rotational rusher.

The Jets have gone down this path before of investing mid-round picks into edge rushers. Candidly it’s been mostly a failure although Jordan Jenkins was a really nice find a couple of years ago in the third round out of Georgia. Perhaps the team can find lightning in the bottle once again here with this selection.

“Getting maulers who can help reset the line of scrimmage and keep the pocket clean for Darnold makes too much sense. Wills and Damien Lewis are a heck of a duo to add up front.”

Top players still on the board:

• Troy Pride Jr, cornerback, Notre Dame
• Tyler Biadasz, interior offensive line, Wisconsin
• Bryan Edwards, wide receiver, South Carolina
• Van Jefferson, wide receiver, Florida

This selection of Damien Lewis makes me feel a bit better about bypassing a few quality offensive line options in round two.

The 6-foot-2, 327-pound senior offensive lineman appears to be a far better-run blocker than pass protector, although he has the ability to improve in that area. For his size, he’s a super stout dude who won’t be pushed around, but once you get him in space defenders can take advantage of him.

The Jets are going to need at least three new starters on the offensive line in 2020 it’ll be interesting to see how they attack the free agency period. Hopefully the green and white create some flexibility on draft day by adding some starters and depth in the month of March.