Blake Freeland and 5 Day 3 targets for the NY Jets in the 2023 NFL Draft

The NY Jets made only one selection on Day 2 of the 2023 NFL Draft, selecting Wisconsin center Joe Tippmann with pick 43. It will be a long gap between picks as they do not pick again until 112. As of right now, the Jets' final three picks are pretty early on Day 3: 112, 143, and 170.

Let’s take a look at five options for the Jets on Day 3 of the NFL Draft.

1. Adetomiwa Adebawore, DL, Northwestern

One of the best players remaining on the board is Northwestern’s Adetomiwa Adebawore. Adebawore is in between an edge player and an interior defensive lineman, but with the Jets' depth on the edge, he could move inside.

Adebawore is 6-foot-2 and 280 pounds and had one of, if not the most impressive, combines. He ran a 4.49 40-yard dash with a 1.61 10-yard split, a 37.5-inch vertical jump, and a 10-foot-5-inch broad jump.

Per Pro Football Focus, Adebawore had six sacks and 25 pressures in 305 pass-rush snaps. He earned pass-rush grades of 78.2 and 80.3 over his last two college seasons.

Adding Adebawore to the interior defensive line group would be great for the pass rush but wouldn’t do much in run defense.

Scott Matlock, DT, Boise State

If they want to go after a defensive tackle that could help against the run, Scott Matlock could be a good fit. The Jets' current defensive tackles are Quinnen Williams, Quinton Jefferson, and Solomon Thomas, so they could use a bigger body.

In 2022, Matlock had three sacks and 25 pressures in 362 pass-rush snaps, and he also earned a 78.3 run-blocking grade from PFF.

Dawand Jones, OT, Ohio State

Dawand Jones was a possible option at pick 43, but he is still available heading into Day 3. He could be falling because of his size, but the Jets still need an offensive tackle, and he was a pretty good one in college.

Jones allowed just five pressures and no sacks in 419 pass-blocking snaps last season. Given the Jets' need at offensive tackle, I think taking a chance on him at this point in the draft makes a lot of sense.

Blake Freeland, OT, BYU

Another offensive tackle the Jets could go after is Blake Freeland. Freeland is also 6-foot-8 but weighs only 302 pounds. Similarly to Joe Tippmann, Freeland is a big, athletic offensive lineman, which seems to be the mold they are looking for.

Freeland ran a 4.98 40-yard dash with a 1.68 10-yard split and a 37-inch vertical jump. He has experience at both tackle spots and has played well at each spot.

This past season, Freeland allowed no sacks and just seven pressures on 462 pass-blocking snaps. He also earned extremely impressive PFF grades: 87.3 run-blocking grade, 90.7 pass-blocking grade, and 90.2 zone-blocking grade.

Freeland needs to add strength but has a lot of potential for the Jets to tap into in the future.

Christopher Smith, S, Georgia

Christopher Smith was featured in my last seven-round mock draft for the Jets, and I still think he would be a great fit to take on day three. Smith is a good complement to the skill sets that Jordan Whitehead and Chuck Clark offer.

Smith is the "top pure safety" on PFF’s big board, which fits well with Whitehead and Clark being more box safety types. He earned a 79.8 deep grade from PFF and had three interceptions each of the past two seasons.

If the Jets are going to target a safety on Day 3, Smith should be their top target.