NY Jets land Kayvon Thibodeaux and a star WR in 7-round 2022 NFL Mock Draft

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NY Jets, Alec Lindstrom / Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

Round 4, 109th Overall, NY Jets: Brandon Smith, LB, Penn State

The Jets have a type when it comes to their linebackers. Robert Saleh and company want fast, athletic linebackers who can cover in space and shoot gaps like speeding bullets.

Penn State's Brandon Smith fits that mold better than most. At 6-foot-3, 241 pounds, Smith has excellent size for the position, especially when you consider his unreal athletic traits.

He isn't on Micah Parsons' level as a prospect, but some of the same physical traits are there. Smith has been credited with running a 4.38 40-yard dash and that speed shows up on tape whether he's in coverage, in run defense, or rushing the passer.

Smith is undoubtedly still a work in progress and NFL teams would have liked to see him take a greater step in 2021 than he did. But he just feels like a linebacker the Jets would try to mold into a long-term starter.

Round 4, 115th Overall, NY Jets: Alec Lindstrom, C, Boston College

This is probably a pick more for 2023 than it is 2022. Boston College's Alec Lindstrom is essentially a center-exclusive prospect, but someone who can develop into a long-term starter in the NFL.

He has modest length at 6-foot-3, 298 pounds. He isn't overly powerful and while he has very good lateral mobility, you will find better athletes out there. Instead, Lindstrom makes a living by punching above his weight class with technical refinement and a high motor.

The Draft Network's Joe Marino referred to him as "a classic overachiever," but with a strong NFL lineage and a high football IQ, it's easy to see Lindstrom being a long-term starting center.

Connor McGovern has one year left on his contract and the Jets could look to replace him with Lindstrom as early as 2023.