Jets trade down, fix big holes without drafting QB in 3-round 2025 NFL Mock Draft

The NY Jets' win over the Jacksonville Jaguars may have changed the NFL Draft calculus for whoever ends up being the team's next GM. With Aaron Rodgers playing much better of late, it seems more likely than ever that he will return to the team as their starting quarterback for the 2025 season.

With the Jets likely picking too low in the order to select either Miami's Cam Ward or Colorado's Shedeur Sanders, the recent struggles of Alabama's Jalen Milroe and the news that Penn State quarterback Drew Allar will be returning to school for his senior year has thinned the herd of available prospects for the Jets.

The Jets can still conduct a solid 2025 NFL Draft without using a pick on a quarterback and rolling with the same room they had last year. Following this plan of attack could fix some big holes and give Rodgers all he needs for one more shot at the title.

NY Jets 3-round 2025 NFL Mock Draft

Round 1, Pick 14: Kenneth Grant, DT, Michigan

The Jets' biggest defensive issue before the Robert Saleh firing was their inability to stop the run, as Quinnen Williams having a good (not great) season combined with Javon Kinlaw's disappointing showing has left the Jets so thin up front that undrafted rookie Leonard Taylor is playing meaningful snaps.

Kenneth Grant is nearly 340 pounds, showing the ability to eat up space in run defense while possessing more pass-rush potential than most mammoth interior linemen his size. Grant and Williams on the interior could effectively lock up the position for the next half-decade.

Round 2, Pick 40: Nick Emmanwori, SAF, South Carolina

The safety position is a big need for the Jets, but the only player worthy of burning a first-round pick on at this juncture is Georgia's Malaki Starks. If he isn't going to be the first-round pick, Nick Emmanwori in the second round would be the Jets' next best bet at picking a player who can start at the position immediately.

While not a true ballhawk in that Ed Reed model everyone loves, Emmanwori is a 6-foot-3, 227-pounder who hits like a freight train and has the athleticism to cover tight ends and running backs, both of whom have killed the Jets' secondary. Any defensive backs coach would love to have Emmanwori.

Round 3, Pick 76: Mason Taylor, TE, LSU

The Jets could do with one more pass-catcher for Rodgers. With Tyler Conklin a free agent and Jeremy Ruckert an extremely disappointing player who may not be retained, New York could benefit from an extremely deep tight end class to find a contributor like Taylor on Day 2 of the 2025 NFL Draft.

The son of Hall of Famer and one-time Jet Jason Taylor, the younger Taylor has solid 4.60 speed for a 255-pound tight end. With soft hands and improvements every year, Taylor has emerged as perhaps the best offensive prospect on the LSU offense in 2025. Conklin's days might be numbered.

Round 3, Pick 95: Earnest Greene, OT, Georgia

The Jets' offensive line appears to finally be fixed, as four starters are under contract and most of the line is 27 years old or younger. However, the one question mark is right tackle, as Morgan Moses has been the worst of the five starters and will turn 34 years old in March. A backup plan is needed.

Greene is raw and may profile as an exclusive right tackle, but those traits could make him more appealing to a Jets team that has the willingness to bide their time with him. At over 320 pounds with great mobility and strong hands, Greene is worth developing.