5 potential future Jets that fans should watch in Oregon vs Indiana beyond the QBs

Tonight is sure to be an exciting one for football fans — more specifically, college football fans. Heisman-winning quarterback and presumptive number one overall pick Fernando Mendoza of Indiana will face off against presumptive second overall quarterback Dante Moore of Oregon.

But outside of those two, there will be plenty more potential future Jets on that field. And there are plenty of positions of need (and plenty of draft picks to use).

Let's take a look at some of those young stars — not named Mendoza or Moore — who might be wearing green and white next season.

NFL Draft prospects Jets fans should watch in tonight's Oregon vs Indiana game

A'Mauri Washington, DL, Oregon

With Quinnen Williams in Dallas and an empty cupboard of a defensive line room, this is an area that the Jets must attack in the offseason. And what better realm to attack than the NFL Draft?

A'Mauri Washington, a mass of a man out of Oregon, fits what the Jets need pretty spot-on. While the 6-foot-3, 330-pound lineman is uniquely agile for his size, he is definitely an inside lineman. You won't get a whole lot of pressure on quarterbacks with his presence, but you'll have holes consistently clogged and running plays consistently thwarted.

What I like the most about Washington is the speed at which he seemingly evades any contact with the opposing offensive lineman. When the ball is snapped, he's often immediately trying to burst through the middle of two linemen, after disappearing from his opponents' line of vision before they can even get their hands up to block.

The detractors will tell you that he will be a zero against the pass, but his 70.6 Pro Football Focus (PFF) pass rush grade says something different. Those same detractors will also bemoan his 14.3% missed tackle rate, and that's fair. But in the role he would be playing, he wouldn't be asked to make many dead-to-rights tackles in open space.

His combination of size, speed, and ability to shut the door on holes makes him an excellent option for the Jets to consider at either the 16th pick or the 33rd pick.

Emmanuel Pregnon, OG, Oregon

The only guards the Jets have under contract next season are Joe Tippmann and Marquis Hayes. Left guard John Simpson, a pending free agent, just saw a steep decline in production from 2024 to 2025.

Last season, PFF had him graded at 72.3 for pass blocking, 79.2 for run blocking, and 77.3 for overall offensive impact. This season, those numbers plummeted to 62, 56.7, and 56.9, respectively. And already approaching 30, Simpson is clearly not a long-term play (at least, not a good one).

That's where the young All-American guard out of Oregon comes in. Emmanuel Pregnon, similar to Washington, is gigantic, standing at 6-foot-5 and weighing 320 pounds. He's honestly built more like a tackle than a guard with that size. Pregnon transferred from USC last year, and he has skyrocketed up the draft boards from there.

He received exceptional grades from PFF, including an 87.3 run block grade and an 86.3 pass block grade. This is up from 64.1 and 67.5 last year, respectively. He can protect the future rookie quarterback, and he can also blow up holes for Breece Hall.

In 422 pass blocking snaps, he's allowed just two hurries and one sack. He's good with his hands, can bang with the biggest defenders, and has the speed you need to recover when beaten. One of his only concerns throughout his career has been his ability to combat inside moves. And even that, he has improved on.

Pro Football Focus ranked the Jets 22nd in run blocking and 16th in pass blocking last season, making upgrades — particularly in the run game — a clear priority. Pregnon fits that need well and should be firmly in play at No. 33, with a chance he’s still available at No. 44.

Amare Ferrell, S, Indiana

According to PFF, the Jets ranked 31st in pass coverage this season. With a grade as low as 32.2, only the Las Vegas Raiders graded worse. For reference, the top-ranked team finished at 88.3. That's how bad it was for the Jets.

This makes sense, considering the Jets became the first team ever to complete a full season without an interception. It couldn't be clearer that the secondary is a disaster.

Rookie Malachi Moore proved to be relatively stout against the run, but he struggled in coverage with a 54.0 PFF grade. Week 1 starters Andre Cisco and Tony Adams are free agents and unlikely to return.

If there's anything that Amare Ferrell, a 6-foot-2, 200-pound junior safety out of Indiana, can do, it's cover. He has combined for eight interceptions over the past two seasons and graded at 81.2 for pass coverage during that span. It's his ability to match routes and his length that separate him from the pack.

His elite pass coverage does not take away from his ability to step up and support against the run. He received a 77.4 PFF run defense grade and finished the season with 35 tackles, so he isn't the kind of safety who shies away from contact.

Ferrell's well-rounded game, along with his outstanding coverage, makes him a good fit on the Jets' defense. With the 103rd pick, it's entirely possible he'll be available.

Mikail Kamara, EDGE, Indiana

It feels as though the Jets have never had an outside presence on the defensive line. Will McDonald has proven to be solid, but not consistent enough as a pass rusher, and is a liability against the run. Jermaine Johnson is coming off an underwhelming 2025 season as well.

So, what do the Jets do?

If they're smart, they'll load up. Despite recent trends moving away from strict air reliance, this is still very much a passing league. Without someone to put a timer on opposing quarterbacks' opportunities to fire it downfield, a defense's success has a low ceiling. If the quarterback is comfortable, a defense can only be so effective.

Luckily for the Jets, elite disruptor out of Indiana, Mikail Kamara, is likely to be available with either the 103rd pick, and possibly even at 175 or 178. He would represent a true outside pass-rushing threat. Despite a smaller frame at just 6-foot-1, 265 pounds, he is a game wrecker.

In two seasons with the Hoosiers, Kamara averaged an 82.4 pass rush grade. He combined for 95 QB-hurries and 12 sacks during that time. He has a really nice burst off the line and uses his hands at an expert level to shed blockers. He's also known to have a real motor, something crucial for edge rushers.

The Jets could desperately use some edge rusher help, and Kamara would be an excellent upside pick for the Jets on Day 3 of the draft.

Malik Benson, WR, Oregon

If I've complained about one roster flaw this year, it is absolutely the receiving corps. Outside of Garrett Wilson, the Jets have absolutely nothing in the way of serious playmaking threats. It's actually embarrassing.

Adonai Mitchell has shown promise as a depth receiver, but likely nothing beyond that. John Metchie III is a restricted free agent. And rookie Arian Smith showed just about zero flashes of productivity in year one.

Between picks 175 and 240, there is a high upside receiver who could be worth a swing for the Jets. Malik Benson, a 6-foot-1 speedster out of Oregon, has all the tools to be a successful pro. He's incredibly fast, bursts off the line, and presents issues for teams both in open space and as a vertical route runner.

Moving from Alabama in 2023, to Florida State in 2024, and finally to Oregon in 2025, Benson has improved every season. His receptions increased from 13 to 25 to 41. His yards per reception jumped from 12.4 and 12.5 in his first two seasons to 17 at Oregon. And his YAC per reception leaped from 3.6 and 3.4 to 4.2 this season.

What he provides as a vertical threat is nice. What he provides as an open-field threat is icing on the cake. If there's anything the Jets offense could use, it's explosion. This is a guy who explodes on his own, a trait that will likely be necessary if catching passes from a rookie QB learning the ropes.

While his route-running has been critiqued as not quite tight enough, his hands are as sure as sure gets, with only four drops in 40 career games. And if he's available at picks 193, 204, 211, 218, or 240, he is well worth a shot for the Jets.