2024 NFL Mock Draft: NY Jets solve OL issues in perfect 7-round mock

The NY Jets are right around two months away from the start of what promises to be an eventful and important 2024 NFL Draft. Following a disappointing 7-10 finish in 2023, the Jets are looking to reload their roster ahead of next season.

This year's draft is especially important given the uncertain future of the Jets' regime. If the Jets are unable to make the playoffs in 2024, this will very likely be Joe Douglas' last draft with the organization.

That means Douglas and the Jets will likely have to show more urgency when it comes to this year's draft class. The immediate results from their 2023 class, outside of Joe Tippmann, weren't promising.

Using Pro Football Focus's mock draft simulator, here is our latest attempt at a 2024 Jets mock draft. Note that PFF's simulator includes three projected compensatory picks for the Jets.

Round 1, 10th Overall, NY Jets: Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame

This is the best-case scenario for the Jets. It was a surprise to see Notre Dame's Joe Alt still on the board at pick No. 10, and while I don't think this is how it will shake out in April, there was no way the Jets were passing here.

Alt is a three-year starter who earned first-team All-American honors in 2022 and Unanimous All-American honors in 2023. He's widely seen as a top-two offensive lineman in this year's draft class.'

At 6-foot-8, 322 pounds, Alt combines outstanding size with great athleticism and an NFL-ready skill set. He projects as an obvious day-one starting left tackle with All-Pro upside.

The Jets address their biggest need with arguably the best tackle prospect in this draft. This would be a home-run pick for the organization.

Round 3, 72nd Overall, NY Jets: Malachi Corley, WR, Western Kentucky

The Jets will also need to find ways to upgrade the wide receiver position this offseason. The middle of this year's draft is loaded with wide receiver talent, and one such name the Jets could have their eyes on is Malachi Corley.

The Western Kentucky star has drawn comparisons to Deebo Samuel due to his size, speed, YAC ability, and similar usage in college. Corely is at his best with the ball in his hands.

At 5-foot-11, 220 pounds, Corley is built like a running back, and he plays like one too. Corley is dynamic after the catch, using a combination of speed, agility, and toughness to break tackles.

His route tree is still a work in progress, and he tended to struggle in traffic despite his size, but Corley is an electric playmaker who should find a role in an NFL offense. He's an ideal developmental WR3/WR4 early in his career.

Round 4, 112th Overall, NY Jets: Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, S, Texas Tech

Three of the Jets' top four safeties are free agents this offseason, and the team will need to decide which of the likes of Jordan Whitehead, Ashtyn Davis, and Chuck Clark they want to bring back. Either way, it might make sense to use a mid-round pick on the position.

This year's draft isn't especially loaded with safety prospects, but one player who makes a ton of sense as a Day 2/3 target is Texas Tech's Dadrion Taylor-Demerson.

Taylor-Demerson is undersized at just 5-foot-10, 189 pounds, but he has the positional versatility and aggressive mindset that NFL teams love. NFL.com actually lists his pro comparison as Whitehead — an indication that he could be seen as a replacement for the veteran safety.

Like Whitehead, Taylor-Demerson is an inconsistent tackler and will never be mistaken for Ed Reed in coverage, but he's a high-IQ, versatile playmaker with plus ball skills. The Jets could use a player like that in their secondary.

Round 4, 114th Overall, NY Jets: Cooper Beebe, OG, Kansas State

A four-year starter and two-time Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year, Cooper Beebe is one of the most experienced offensive linemen in this year's class. As such, he's someone who could start right away in the NFL.

The Kansas native was a Unanimous All-American selection in 2023 and a finalist for the Outland Trophy, given to the nation's top interior offensive or defensive lineman.

Beebe is a technically sound bulldozer in the run game who uses his raw power and low center of gravity to open holes and flatten opposing defensive linemen.

He's not the most agile guard and his length can be an issue, but Beebe's experience and strength give him immediate starter upside. Beebe would add much-needed depth to the Jets' interior offensive line with a chance to even push for a starting job.

Round 6, 187th Overall, NY Jets: Jaden Crumedy, iDL, Mississippi State

One of the more underrated needs for the Jets this offseason is at defensive tackle. Mississippi State's Jaden Crumedy could be an intriguing Day 2 target, with Quinton Jefferson and Solomon Thomas set to hit free agency.

Crumedy was a four-year starter at Mississippi State, appearing in roughly 40 career college games over the last years. At 6-foot-4, 309 pounds, Crumedy thrives as a big-bodied run defender in the middle of a defense.

While he's nothing special as a pass rusher, Crumedy is one of the better run-defending interior linemen in this draft. That's a role the Jets should be looking to fill this offseason.

Round 7, 253rd Overall, NY Jets: Isaiah Davis, RB, South Dakota State

Breece Hall is one of the best running backs in the NFL, but the Jets' running back plan behind him was a disaster in 2023. Expect the team to address the position again this offseason, with Dalvin Cook out of the equation.

South Dakota State's Isaiah Davis fits the archetype of running back the Jets should be looking for. Davis stands at 6-foot, 220 pounds, and thrives as a powerful, between-the-tackles runner. Davis would be a perfect complement to the likes of Hall and Israel Abanikanda.

Round 7, 254th Overall, NY Jets: Devin Leary, QB, Kentucky

With the second of their three compensatory seventh-round picks, the Jets add a developmental backup quarterback in Kentucky's Devin Leary. The former NC State QB transferred to Kentucky as a senior and finished the year with 25 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

Leary is a native of Sicklerville, NJ, having grown up roughly 1.5 hours away from MetLife Stadium. The 24-year-old struggled with inconsistency in college, but he has a live arm and enough arm talent to project as a competent pocket passer at the next level.

Leary can compete for the third-string quarterback job with a chance to develop into a solid backup in the future.

Round 7, 257th Overall, NY Jets: Eyabi Okie-Anoma, EDGE, Charlotte

The Jets are projected to have the final pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, and with their so-called Mr. Irrelevant selection, they landed a former top recruit in Eyabi Okie-Anoma.

Okie-Anoma is a talented, athletically gifted edge rusher prospect who ran into plenty of off-field trouble in college. He was dismissed from both Alabama and Houston, spending time at five different schools in six years.

The Jets took a chance on a similarly "troubled" defensive line prospect in Micheal Clemons a couple of years ago. Okie-Anoma's talent could convince the Jets to do the same again in 2024.