NY Jets trade back, fill top needs in 2-round 2020 mock draft

The NY Jets fill their top needs in this thrilling 2-round 2020 mock draft that even features a trade back scenario. Here are the full results and grades!

The sports world has come to a screeching halt amid the novel coronavirus outbreak. Every major sports outlet has been forced to cancel or postpone its seasons and biggest events. While that is certainly scary the health and safety of everyone is and should be priority No. 1.

For now, the 2020 NFL Draft is still on track for late April and that means we must continue our mock draft simulations to get you guys ready for draft day!

Last week the NFL released the full and official 2020 NFL Draft order and it updated us on the selections for the NY Jets. The team has eight picks in the upcoming NFL Draft and they double dip in both the third and sixth rounds respectively thanks to deals with the NY Giants and the Kansas City Chiefs.

In this latest two-round mock draft courtesy of Senior NFL Draft Analyst Kyle Crabbs of The Draft Network, the Jets fill their top needs and even acquire some more draft capital in a thrilling trade back scenario.

We decided to provide you the full results of this two-round mock draft and we also graded it!

Next: First round

Top players still available on the board:

• Henry Ruggs III, wide receiver, Alabama
• Jerry Jeudy, wide receiver, Alabama
• Josh Jones, offensive tackle, Houston

The NY Jets decide to pass up a variety of talented wide receivers for the last of the big four offensive tackles in Andrew Thomas out of Georgia. Gang Green also benefitted from three blockbuster draft-day trades in front of them in this simulation.

Three quarterbacks (Joe Burrow, LSU; Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama; Justin Herbert, Oregon), Isaiah Simmons (Clemson), Jeff Okudah (Ohio State), Chase Young (Ohio State), CeeDee Lamb (Oklahoma), and the aforementioned three other offensive tackles (Tristan Wirfs, Iowa; Mekhi Becton, Louisville; and Jedrick Wills, Alabama) were the 10 picks ahead of the green and white.

Andrew Thomas is a pure left tackle and has ideal size at 6-foot-5, 320 pounds. He also answered all the big questions at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis with 36 1/8 arms and 10 1/4 hands.

Plan and simple Thomas is a winner. He manned the blindside for a Georgia team that won 11+ games in three straight seasons. Andrew has earned all the accolades that are handed to offensive linemen including All-SEC 1st team in one of the strongest conferences in all of college football.

Andrew Thomas is also a proven leader who was named one of four permanent team captains for the Bulldogs. If the Jets pull the trigger on a plug-and-play left tackle, Thomas will lock down the left side of the offensive line for the next decade-plus. There’s no other way to slice it, this would be a home-run selection.

Grade: A+

Next: Second round (trade?!)

The Philadelphia Eagles decide to trade up a few spots in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft to go get their receiver. In this simulation, the Eagles move up for TCU wide receiver Jalen Reagor.

This makes all the sense in the world for the NY Jets who don’t move that far back and also pick up a valuable third-round draft choice (that becomes the team’s third 3rd round pick to go along with their own and the one they acquired from the NY Giants in the Leonard Williams trade).

The 103rd overall pick in the third round that the Eagles sent the Jets in this trade was awarded to Philadelphia last week as a compensatory selection. The team earned that (and two other) compensatory selections because they lost quarterback Nick Foles, linebacker Jordan Hicks, and wide receiver Golden Tate in 2019 during free agency.

Top players still available on the board:

• Curtis Weaver, edge, Boise State
• Jonathan Taylor, running back, Wisconsin
• Damon Arnette, cornerback, Ohio State
• Matthew Peart, offensive tackle, UConn

With the team’s slightly lower second-round selection, they select Tee Higgins a wide receiver out of Clemson. To be able to trade back, acquire more draft ammo, and still come away with one of the premier wide receivers in the 2020 NFL Draft?

This would be back-to-back home runs for Joe Douglas and the NY Jets.

Higgins chose not to participate in the 2020 NFL Combine and he was very open about why he was skipping it: “rest”. It rubbed some people the wrong way, but it put a lot of pressure on Tee Higgins to perform at the Clemson Pro Day.

There was some controversy at his Pro Day because unofficially he ran a 4.43 40-yard dash which wowed scouts that questioned his speed. But the official numbers for everything was completely underwhelming per Jordan Reid of The Draft Network:

#Clemson WR Tee Higgins Pro Day (Official):

• HT: 6035• WT: 216• 40: 4.54 / 4.56• 10 Yd. Split: 1.66• Shuttle: 4.53• Vert: 31”• Broad: 10’3

— Jordan Reid (@JReidNFL) March 12, 2020

While the offseason process hasn’t done him any favors, if you are someone who trusts the tape, you’ll still come away impressed.

Over the last two years, Higgins caught 118 receptions for 2,103 yards and 25 touchdowns. He’s a big-time receiver that makes big-time plays. He would be an ideal fit in this NY Jets offense and would provide a legitimate No. 1 wide receiver for Sam Darnold.

Grade: A+