NY Jets 7-round 2023 NFL Mock Draft: Prospects with official visits edition

It's almost draft week, so it’s time for another NY Jets seven-round mock draft. To make it a bit more interesting, all of the players in this mock draft will be players who have had reported meetings with the Jets.

Using Pro Football Focus’ mock draft simulator, let’s take a look at a new mock draft for the Jets.

NY Jets trade for Aaron Rodgers

Similar to the Aaron Rodgers trade I proposed last week, with the only difference being that Corey Davis is not included in the deal. After the Jets missed out on Odell Beckham Jr., it seems more likely that Davis stays on a restructured deal.

Round 1, 13 Overall, NY Jets: Broderick Jones, OT, Georgia

If the Jets don’t trade back and stick at No. 13, they will most likely pick an offensive tackle. Broderick Jones fits the mold of what they seem to look for in the position.

He’s got the size at 6-foot-5, 311 pounds, and the length with 34 3/4-inch arms. Jones is also very athletic for his size. He ran a 4.97 40-yard dash with a 1.74 10-yard split.

In his last season at Georgia, Jones excelled as the starting left tackle. Per PFF, Jones allowed no sacks and just nine pressures on 470 pass-blocking snaps. Jones earned an 84.1 pass-blocking grade, which, aside from Northwestern’s Peter Skoronski (93.0), is the highest of any of the offensive tackles projected to go in the first round.

Jones played mostly left tackle at Georgia but could move over to right tackle if needed. With questions surrounding Mekhi Becton, Jones gives the Jets a possible left tackle of the future.

If Becton can get back to where he was in his rookie season, this gives them both a left and right tackle, with Max Mitchell as a swing tackle. That would be a pretty nice situation to be in long-term.

Round 2, 43 Overall, NY Jets: Joe Tippmann, C, Wisconsin

The Jets have a few big holes on their roster that could be filled in this spot. A center or defensive tackle could make a lot of sense, which would then allow them to pursue whichever of the two they don’t get with a veteran free agent like Ben Jones or Al Woods. Wisconsin’s Joe Tippmann could give them the starting center they are looking for.

Tippmann is big for a center, at 6-foot-6, 313 pounds, and is a really good athlete for his size. He also has the positional flexibility to be able to move to guard if needed.

Over the last two seasons as Wisconsin’s starting center, he allowed just one sack and nine total pressures on over 600 pass-blocking snaps. In 2021, he earned an impressive PFF run-blocking grade of 85.0.

Much like an offensive tackle at pick 13, it feels like it is starting to be a question of which center will be the pick at 42 or 43. Tippmann would slot right in as the starting center and give the Jets a long-term answer at the position that they have been looking for for so long now.

Round 4, 112 Overall, NY Jets: Luke Schoonmaker, TE, Michigan

Although tight end is not necessarily a position of need for the Jets, with both Tyler Conklin and C.J. Uzomah under contract and last year’s third-round pick Jeremy Ruckert entering his second season, it could be a position the Jets address anyway. According to evaluators, this year's tight-end class is very talented.

Luke Schoonmaker is someone who the Jets have met with throughout the pre-draft process and who could make sense. Schoonmaker did not have much production at Michigan, with only 418 receiving yards and three touchdowns, but he is a good athlete at a good size.

Schoonmaker measured in at 6-foot-5, 251 pounds, and ran an impressive 4.63 40-yard dash, which was one of the fastest of the tight ends at the NFL Combine. This would give them another weapon for Aaron Rodgers this season and another long-term option.

Round 5, 143 Overall, NY Jets: Ventrell Miller, LB, Florida

Finally, some defense! The Jets could be losing some depth at linebacker even after bringing back Quincy Williams, as, so far, they haven’t brought back Kwon Alexander. Ventrell Miller could be a good Day 3 pick to add some depth to the group and to the team's special teams unit.

Miller, a five-year college player and four-year starter, is an older prospect at 24 years old. He was a team captain his senior season, which is a common theme among Joe Douglas draft picks, and won the inaugural Danny Wuerffel Man of the Year award at Florida.

Miller racked up 160 total tackles and 16 tackles for loss over his final two full collegiate seasons.

Round 6, 207 Overall, NY Jets: Jason Taylor II, S, Oklahoma State

Last but not least, we have some safety depth in Jason Taylor II. The Jets have a need for some safety depth, and Taylor would provide depth there as well as on special teams.

Taylor is an athletic safety, having run a 4.50 40-yard dash with a 43-inch vertical jump. He also had an impressive six interceptions and seven pass deflections to go along with his 75.2 coverage grade from PFF this past season.