5 players with local ties NY Jets can target in 2024 NFL Draft

The NY Jets are preparing for what promises to be an important and eventful 2024 NFL Draft. The team has its sights set on many of the top prospects in this year's draft, and with ample flexibility, there are a number of different routes they can take.

From high-end wide receiver prospects to potential offensive line building blocks to a generational tight end, the Jets have their fair share of options entering the draft. But they're not only looking at the first-round prospects.

The Jets have been doing their homework on the entire 2024 NFL Draft class, and perhaps a few players with local ties could've caught their eyes.

We're going to take a closer look at five local New York/New Jersey products that could be potential targets for the Jets in this year's draft. All five of these players make sense as Jets draft targets.

5. Javontae Jean-Baptiste, EDGE, Notre Dame

A native of Spring Valley, NY, Javontae Jean-Baptiste grew up in Rockland County, around 40 miles north of New York City. After five years spent at Ohio State, Jean-Baptiste transferred to Notre Dame for his final year of eligibility.

The 23-year-old led Notre Dame in both sacks and tackles for loss in 2023, finishing the year with five sacks and 10.5 tackles behind the line of scrimmage. He showed promise in his lone year as a starter, but his age is working against him.

Jean-Baptiste measured in at just 6-foot-4, 239 pounds at the NFL Combine, although that was largely due to a bout with food poisoning. He weighed in at 247 pounds at his pro day and likely played at an even heavier weight at Notre Dame.

Jean-Baptiste is seen as a Day 3 pick, although he is one of two players on this list to have scheduled a top-30 visit with the Jets. The Jets are clearly showing interest — don't be surprised if he's a target later on Day 3.

4. Matt Goncalves, OT/OG, Pittsburgh

The Jets already drafted one Long Island product in Lindenhurst's Jeremy Ruckert two years ago. Perhaps they return to the Long Island well with Matt Goncalves out of Manorville in 2024.

Goncalves started 24 games over four years at Pittsburgh and would've started even more if not for a foot injury that ended his senior season after just three games. That injury prevented him from participating in this year's East-West Shrine Bowl.

Goncalves split time at both left and right tackle in college, although some scouts reportedly see him as more of a guard prospect in the NFL. He has the desired size for the position — 6-foot-6, 327 pounds — but he's lacking in overall athleticism.

Goncalves is a strong run blocker who has the versatility to play all over the offensive line. That should allow him to compete for a backup spot as a mid-round pick in this year's draft.

3. Mohamed Kamara, EDGE, Colorado State

Mohamed Kamara is the other player the Jets have brought in for a top-30 visit, and he has a chance to be drafted higher than any player on this list. A native of Newark, NJ, Kamara is a lighting-quick edge rusher who is seen by many as a fringe Day 2/Day 3 pick.

At 6-foot-1, 248 pounds, Kamara is undersized for the position, but he makes up for it with an incredibly fast first step, an explosive pass-rush arsenal, and a red-hot motor.

It's easy to see why Kamara has drawn comparisons to now-former Jets pass rusher Bryce Huff. Both players play with a sense of urgency and relentlessness that can't be taught.

Kamara is everything Robert Saleh looks for in a pass rusher prospect, and given that the Jets are already showing significant interest in him, he seems like a very feasible target in the middle rounds of the draft.

2. Devin Leary, QB, Kentucky

A native of Sicklerville, NJ — the same hometown as Jets wide receiver Irv Charles — Devin Leary is a potential late-round quarterback option for a Jets team that seems likely to explore their QB options in the draft.

Leary played four years at NC State, putting together an outstanding 2021 season that saw many projecting him as a possible future first-round pick, before transferring to Kentucky in 2023.

At 6-foot-1, 215 pounds, Leary has an NFL-caliber arm and some impressive off-schedule abilities, but he's still looking to recapture the magic of that 2021 season. Inconsistencies and turnovers have proven to be a problem over the last two years.

Leary has more upside than some of the other Day 3 quarterback prospects, making him an intriguing candidate to be the Jets' developmental third QB.

1. Audric Estime, RB, Notre Dame

Audric Estime grew up in Nyack, New York, just 15 minutes north of the New Jersey border. In a relatively weak running back class, Estime is making a case to be the most undervalued player at his position in the draft.

Estime led Notre Dame in rushing in each of the last two seasons, rushing for 1,341 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2023. At just 20 years old (he doesn't turn 21 until September), he's also one of the youngest players in this class.

Estime is a powerful, bruising running back who stands at 5-foot-11, 222 pounds. His 4.71 40 time at the Combine will scare some teams away, but play speed never seemed to be an issue for him on tape.

He fits the exact mold of running back the Jets should be looking for and should be available early on Day 3. Estime isn't just a feel-good local story — he's someone the Jets should legitimately look to target as Breece Hall's primary backup.