NY Jets: The options at pick 23 and why a trade up could happen

Mike Mitchell

NY Jets Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The NY Jets are drafting BYU quarterback Zach Wilson with the second pick overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. At least, it appears that way, barring some last-second change of heart.

The Jets have identified who their franchise quarterback is going to be. The mystery of whether or not the Jets would take a quarterback at No. 2 was revealed the day Sam Darnold was traded.

The real mystery has shifted to what the Jets will do with their next pick in the first round.

The Jets have so many needs that you could make a legitimate argument for several players or positions that they should target at 23. It’s a take-your-pick scenario at almost every area of the team — the byproduct of coming off a two-win season.

It’s not out of the realm of possibility that the Jets at 23 could address adding a game-breaking running back, or another edge rusher, or even an every-down linebacker in the mold of Fred Warner.

But one long read of the tea leaves of what the Jets have and haven’t done thus far this offseason leads many into two specific target areas — offensive line and cornerback.

The Jets went out this offseason and landed a dynamic edge-rusher in Carl Lawson and a top target for the passing game in Corey Davis.

There have been several other additions, but none have stood out more as significant long-term investments than the moves made to acquire Lawson and Davis at two premium need areas.

The Jets did not, however, address two other prominent needs on their roster — a premium starting offensive lineman and a genuine No. 1 cornerback. The fact they didn’t address those two positions in free agency is a strong hint of what’s to come on draft day.

The dilemma with picking in the second half of the draft, like the Jets will be if they stand pat at 23, is waiting and hoping that players will fall to you, especially as it pertains to players who play premium positions in the NFL.

Waiting for the board to fall your way is as risky as trading resources to make a move to get who you desire. The waiting game has its own share of opportunity costs.

Once upon a time, back in 2006, then Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum had to sweat out the possibility of Nick Mangold falling to him at pick No. 29. The Jets and Tannenbaum got lucky when the future seven-time Pro Bowl center fell to them.

As Mike Tannenbaum recently revealed in an interview at NewYorkJets.com, the former Jets GM didn’t know how lucky he was until then Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome called to congratulate him after the pick. Newsome told Tannenbaum that Baltimore nearly picked Mangold at 13 before selecting defensive tackle Haloti Ngata.

Because centers are often overlooked in the first round of the NFL Draft, luck was on the Jets’ side for a change, Mangold fell to 29, and the rest was history.

Another history lesson comes from the draft a year later. With Gang Green in desperate need of a cornerback, Mike Tannenbaum and his scouting staff identified Darrelle Revis as their top target.

The problem was that the Jets were picking 25th. The team also identified cornerbacks Leon Hall and Aaron Ross as fallback possibilities.

Still, the preference was Revis and the Jets at 25, didn’t feel secure about their options at that spot in the draft to get any of the top-ranked corners on their board.

So they were dead set on making a move up the board — and they did. Getting to 14 to draft the franchise’s greatest defensive back in Darrelle Revis.

As it turns out, in that draft, Leon Hall went 18th to the Bengals, and Aaron Ross was selected 20th by the Giants. So the calculation that standing pat at 25 would prove fruitless for the Jets was the correct call by Tannenbaum.

The decision to trade-up, arranged a night before, on the condition that Revis was still available, was arguably the greatest draft move in Jets history as ‘Trader Mike’ sent the Jets 25th selection, a second-round and fifth-round pick to Carolina to move up to the 14th spot and select Darrelle Revis.

Tannenbaum moved heaven and earth to land on Revis Island. Had the Jets stayed at 25 and decided to keep their picks, the next highest-rated cornerback on the board was Chris Houston, who went 41st to the Atlanta Falcons.

That brings us to the present day and this year’s draft. The Jets are sitting at 23, and the same dilemma that the Jets faced in 2006 and 2007 could play itself out on draft day.

While diehard NFL and Jets fans update their mock drafts daily, the truth is that NFL teams are doing the same thing. The Jets front office is going through every scenario in draft meetings to attempt to figure out who will be available to them when they are on the clock at 23.

The best-player-available strategy is certainly in play for a team like the Jets that has so many holes on their roster but for the sake of this, let’s assume that the Jets’ goal at 23 is prioritizing the two areas that the Jets didn’t in free agency — offensive line and cornerback.

Here is a look at the scenarios that could play out at those respective positions in the first round and the realistic options for the Jets at 23.

Next: Offensive line options at 23

1. Offensive linemen the NY Jets could target at No. 23

The Jets have their left tackle of the future in last year’s first-round pick Mekhi Becton, and the team is installing a new zone-blocking scheme up front with former San Francisco 49ers offensive line coach John Benton.

Many of the returning offensive linemen, like George Fant based on his skill set, could benefit from the change in scheme and be better players than they were a year ago.

However, the Jets offensive line is missing another standout player, a foundation piece on the same line as Mekhi Becton. Someone who can work in tandem with him for many years to come.

The same type of elite pairing that D’Brickashaw Ferguson and Nick Mangold were for so many years. Can the Jets get that type of player at 23?

With that in mind, here are the top offensive linemen that are projected by many publications and outlets to be probable selections in Round 1.

Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon

Rashawn Slater, OL, Northwestern

Christian Darrisaw, OT, Virginia Tech

Alijah Vera-Tucker, OG, USC

Teven Jenkins, OT/OG, Oklahoma State

Landon Dickerson, C/OG, Alabama

Teams that could realistically draft offensive linemen in the first 22 picks before the Jets are on the clock at 23, based on their individual needs, are as followed.

Bengals (No. 5), Panthers (No. 8), Cowboys (No. 10), Giants (No. 11), Eagles (No. 12), Chargers (No. 13), Vikings (No. 14), Raiders (No. 17), Dolphins (No. 18), Washington (No. 19), Bears (No. 20), Colts (No. 21), Titans (No. 22).

It’s safe to assume that Penei Sewell and Rashawn Slater will be the top two offensive linemen taken off the board, most likely in the top-10. Then it’s a matter of personal preference for teams amongst the remaining group.

The Chargers at 13 and the Vikings at 14 seem like logical destinations for the best-rated players up front left on the board. Both Los Angeles and Minnesota are in desperate need of help on their offensive line, and this could be the area where Vera-Tucker and Darrisaw go off the board.

Two other teams that have pressing needs at offensive tackle are Washington at 19 and the Colts at 21. Indianapolis, in particular, will be looking to replace starting left tackle Anthony Castonzo, who retired this offseason.

With so many teams in the teens and beyond potentially looking to address their offensive lines, the likelihood for the Jets at 23 is that their best bet for a premium lineman to fall to them will be Landon Dickerson. Would the Jets repeat 2006 and go center again as they did with Nick Mangold 15 years ago?

The Jets have Connor McGovern locked in as their starting center, but he does have history playing at guard if the Jets decide to bring on a new pivot man for their offense.

Dickerson checks off many the boxes as a Rimington Award winner as the nation’s best center, but he has some red flags based on his history of season-ending injuries. Most recently, an ACL tear suffered in December.

The other issue with a player like Dickerson is whether he fits in the Jets’ new scheme. At 6-foot-6 333 pounds, on paper, Dickerson is not your prototypical interior player in a zone-blocking system.

Dickerson is not known for his agility or ability to operate well on the move, in space, or at the second level of a defense. So, despite the high draft pedigree, he may very well be a square peg in a round hole for the Jets.

Two other interior players who could likely be drafted in Round 1 based on supply and demand are Wisconsin-Whitewater’s Quinn Meinerz and Oklahoma’s Creed Humphrey. Either player could be targets of the Jets as well, but perhaps not at 23.

The bottom line is if the Jets are looking to land Alijah Vera-Tucker, Christian Darrisaw, or a Teven Jenkins, to guarantee it, they will most likely have to make a move up the board to get them.

Next: Cornerback options at 23

NY Jets Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

2. Cornerbacks the NY Jets could target at No. 23

The Jets’ top three cornerbacks on their current roster are Bryce Hall, Blessuan Austin, and Javelin Guidry. Three promising young players, but neither one of them projects as a genuine No. 1 cornerback.

Someone has to cover Stefon Diggs. Before all is said and done, the Jets could add a veteran to this group on a short-term deal, but the Jets need a long-term answer at this position.

With that in mind, here are the top cornerbacks that are projected by many to be surefire selections in Round 1.

Patrick Surtain Jr., Alabama

Jaycee Horn, South Carolina

Greg Newsome II, Northwestern

Caleb Farley, Virginia Tech

There are other players at cornerback who might vault into the first round based on supply and demand, like Tyson Campbell (Georgia), Aaron Robinson (UCF), Eric Stokes (Georgia), or Ifeatu Melifonwu (Syracuse), among others. Still, none of these players are rated as highly as Surtain, Horn, Newsome, and Farley are.

Let’s look at the entire board. These teams could realistically draft cornerbacks in the first 22 picks before the Jets are on the clock at 23, based on their individual needs, are as followed.

Lions (No. 7), Panthers ( No. 8), Cowboys (No. 10), Eagles (No. 12), Chargers (No. 13), Vikings (No. 14), Cardinals (No. 16), Raiders (No. 17), Bears (No. 20), Colts (No. 21), Titans (No. 22).

Patrick Surtain Jr. figures to be the first cornerback selected in the draft and could go as early as seven to Detroit and by no later than 10 to the Dallas Cowboys. The earlier Surtain goes, the sooner players like Horn, Newsome, and Farley follow.

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The Jets will be sweating out the teen section of the draft, hoping one of the top remaining cornerbacks slide to them at pick 23. Things will start to get tricky by the time Arizona is on the clock at 16.

The Cardinals starting corners are Robert Alford and veteran pickup Malcolm Butler. They are a prime candidate to target one of the premier-rated cornerbacks in this draft. The Raiders, Colts, Bears, and Titans could all address the position as well.

Jaycee Horn, Greg Newsome II, and Caleb Farley all have the prototypical size and length that Robert Saleh and Jets defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich covet in their defensive scheme. They all project as No. 1 cornerbacks on the next level.

The desire by the Jets to land one of these blue-chip prospects may require them to make a move up a few spots to get ahead of the crowd of all the cornerback-needy teams in front of them. Otherwise, the Jets could be left standing at the cornerback altar by the time they get on the clock at 23.

Ultimately, by the time the Jets are on the clock at pick 23, what’s left of the cornerback and offensive line position might steer them in a different direction.

Most times, NFL teams in the draft will push the narrative that they are looking for the best player available, but often the tie-breaker leans towards their most pressing needs. The reach in the draft was born from that mindset.

For once, the Jets, because of their deficiencies, don’t need to play that game. They can truly take a ‘best-player-available’ strategy and avoid reaching for players.

But to get the players they truly covet the most, they might need to reach out to other teams and make a move up the draft board.

Sometimes, ‘all gas no brake’ means not leaving the car parked in neutral.

Mike Mitchell

Mike has been a contributor at The Jet Press since 2020. A longtime advocate and pro football writer who has covered multiple teams and leagues. Mike has written for Sports Illustrated and several other sites covering the NFL, CFL, and other pro football leagues. Also an avid fan of college football, Mike has been one of the most accurate predictors of the NFL Draft, scoring second last year behind NFL Network's Peter Schwartz.