NY Jets fix their defense in 7-round 2022 NFL Mock Draft

Round 1, 5th Overall, NY Jets: George Karlaftis, EDGE, Purdue

While Hutchinson and Thibodeaux are receiving a lot of the hype, there's another incredibly talented edge rusher who has a chance to be taken in the top-five that's getting a little overlooked — Purdue's George Karlaftis.

Karlaftis is everything Robert Saleh looks for in a pass rusher. He has an absolutely relentless motor, incredible raw power, and an explosive first step that make him probably the best all-around power rusher in this year's class.

At 6-foot-4, 275 pounds, he even has the size to shift inside if you want with comparisons being drawn to players like J.J. Watt and Justin Smith. On top of that, he's also a technically refined rusher with a more varied pass-rush arsenal than probably any player in his draft class.

Don't sleep on George Karlaftis. He could be one of the best players in this class when all is said and done. The Jets add another talented superstar to a defense that desperately needs it.

Round 2, 36th Overall, NY Jets: Nakobe Dean, LB, Georgia

Three picks. Three defensive players. This time the Jets are able to snag a player who many have as a first-round prospect in linebacker Nakobe Dean. Dean was named the Butkus Award winner last week being declared the nation's top linebacker.

And the promise he showed at Georgia could very well transfer over into the NFL. At 6-foot, 220 pounds, Dean is a bit undersized but has the look and feel of a modern-day NFL linebacker.

The 20-year-old might be the fastest linebacker in the country with eye-popping athleticism that allows him to be a highly-effective blitzer up the middle.

Dean has the football instincts to make him a very proficient run defender and the athletic upside to project him as a three-down linebacker at the next level. The Jets need linebacker help and Dean fits the mold of what Saleh looks for at the position.