2024 NFL Mock Draft Roundup: Will the NY Jets draft one of the top OL?

The NY Jets should have the opportunity to add a highly-touted prospect in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft. The team's Week 18 game against the New England Patriots will help determine exactly where they pick, but either way, the Jets will have a top-12 selection.

With only five picks in this year's draft, the Jets will be hoping to make each selection count. That's especially true for their first-round pick in a year the team fully expects to compete for the Super Bowl.

The Jets need immediate production out of their first-round pick, and there's a good chance they'll be able to land someone who can start day one. The consensus is that the team will address their offense in some way.

The following three mock drafts are based on the prediction that the Jets will have the eighth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Here is a look at some recent mock projections.

Olu Fashanu, OT, Penn State - Pro Football Network

The consensus opinion is that there are two top-tier offensive tackle prospects in this year's draft class — one of which is Penn State's Olu Fashanu.

Fashanu is a well-rounded, technically sound left tackle prospect with All-Pro upside. The Consensus All-American is the reigning Rimington–Pace Offensive Lineman of the Year in the Big Ten and is widely seen as one of the best overall prospects at any position in the 2024 draft.

At 6-foot-6, 317 pounds, Fashanu projects as a day-one starting left tackle in the NFL — something the Jets will likely be looking for this offseason.

Expect to see Fashanu connected to the Jets a ton over the coming months, especially if they end up with a top-10 pick. He's one of the most obvious fits for Gang Green.

Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame - CBS Sports

Here is the other top tackle prospect. The debate between Fashanu and Notre Dame's Joe Alt will be a fierce one as the 2024 draft draws closer, but no matter your personal preference, it's clear that both are high-end prospects.

Alt is one of the youngest players in this year's draft class, as he won't turn 21 years old until the end of February. Youth doesn't equate to inexperience in this case, however. Alt has started the better part of the last three years at left tackle for Notre Dame.

He was named a Unanimous All-American in 2023 and was a finalist for the Outland Trophy, given to the nation's best offensive lineman/interior defensive lineman.

At 6-foot-8, 322 pounds, Alt is yet another plug-and-play left tackle with the size and technical ability to project as an All-Pro at the next level. He's expected to be a surefire top-10 pick come April.

Malik Nabers, WR, LSU - Sports Illustrated

Most expect the Jets to select an offensive lineman in the first round, but what happens if the top tackle prospects are off the board? There's a chance the Jets target their other big offensive need.

While it's unlikely the Jets will be in a position to draft Ohio State's Marvin Harrison Jr., this is a deep and talented wide receiver class. LSU's Malik Nabers is another player many expect to come off the board in the top 10.

Nabers is an electric wide receiver prospect who's coming off a huge 2023 season in which he finished with over 1,500 yards, 89 catches, and 14 touchdowns in 13 games.

The Jets will be looking for ways to improve their wide receiver room in the offseason, and if they don't land a big name in free agency or via the trade market, Nabers makes a ton of sense as a draft-day target.