NY Jets land Zach Wilson and Kwity Paye in 3-round 2021 NFL Mock Draft

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Round 1, 2nd Overall, NY Jets: Zach Wilson, QB, BYU

This pick isn’t going to change. There have been brief rumblings over the last week that the Jets could consider going in a different direction with this pick, but don’t buy into the pre-draft noise.

The Jets are going to draft BYU quarterback Zach Wilson second overall. That much is all but a certainty at this point.

Wilson has been connected to the Jets for months now, the moves from around the league point to him being the pick, and Joe Douglas might as well have signed off on the selection with his recent comments.

The Jets are prepared to start over at quarterback and Wilson will soon become the highest-drafted quarterback in franchise history. Will he live up to the hype? Only time will tell.

But Wilson has all the natural talent to become a franchise quarterback at the next level. The Jets must do a better job of supporting him than they did Darnold, but his potential is obvious.

Related Story. NY Jets make surprising 1st-round pick in 7-round 2021 NFL Mock Draft. light

Round 1, 23rd Overall, NY Jets: Kwity Pate, DE, Michigan

The plan was to target an offensive lineman or cornerback with this pick. But with the top-four cornerbacks and the likes of Alijah Vera-Tucker, Teven Jenkins, and even Alex Leatherwood off the board, we made the pick that made the most sense.

Kwity Paye has perhaps the highest upside of any edge rusher in this class. Paye is a rare, twitched-up athlete with the size, length, and athleticism to develop into an All-Pro in the NFL.

His traits are a little more impressive than his actual pass-rush moves at the moment, as evidenced by his lack of college production. This is more of a projection pick, but there’s a reason why Paye is considered to be a top-15 player in this class by many outlets.

I’m putting the trust in Robert Saleh to unlock the potential that lies within Paye and I’m trusting that his attitude and coachability (two things he’s been widely praised for) can help him reach his ceiling.

If he does, the Jets might have just landed the steal of the draft.

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