NY Jets make huge trade in 7-round 2022 NFL Mock Draft

With just one game remaining in their season, the NY Jets are eyeing another offseason of change. The Jets have managed to completely overhaul their roster over the last two years, but it's clear there's still plenty of work to be done.

General manager Joe Douglas will be entering his third offseason with the organization, and much like the previous two, he will be looking to land long-term building blocks via free agency and the draft.

The Jets should be able to do plenty of damage in this year's 2022 NFL Draft with an abundance of draft capital. But how might they go about using said draft capital?

We used Pro Football Network's mock draft simulator to run through one possible scenario for the Jets draft. Here are our results.

Round 1, 4th Overall, NY Jets: George Karlaftis, EDGE, Purdue

With Evan Neal and the top two edge rushers (Aidan Hutchinson and Kayvon Thibodeaux) already off the board, we pivoted to the next-best player on our board, Purdue's George Karlaftis.

It will be interesting to see just how high Karlaftis can climb this draft season, but what is already apparent is just how talented of a prospect he is. At 6-foot-4, 275 pounds, Karlaftis is a dominant power rusher whose size allows him to overwhelm offensive tackles and even shift inside on passing downs.

The Greek-born pass rusher combines incredible size with absurd athleticism to give him an All-Pro ceiling at the next level. He's explosive, powerful, technically sound, and plays with a high motor.

Karlaftis may not be getting the attention that Hutchinson and Thibodeaux are receiving, but he's worthy of a top-five pick in this year's draft.

Round 1, 14th Overall, NY Jets: Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama (TRADE)

We have a trade! The Jets decided to trade down with the Philadelphia Eagles sending the 7th overall selection as well as the 108th pick (in the fourth round) for the 14th pick, the 58th pick (second round), and a 2023 second-round pick.

We won't get to use the 2023 pick here, but we do make excellent use of Philadelphia's original first-round selection landing Alabama wide receiver Jameson Williams in the middle of Day 1.

I traded down with the goal of landing a receiver and was thrilled to see Williams still on the board. Perhaps the most explosive player in this class, Williams burst onto the scene as a junior at Alabama being named first-team All-American following a ridiculously productive season.

The Jets need playmakers on offense and few words define Williams better than 'playmaker.' Pairing him up with Elijah Moore and Corey Davis could give the Jets a Cincinnati Bengals-like trio to build around for the foreseeable future.

MUST READ: NY Jets land star EDGE Kayvon Thibodeaux in 7-round 2022 NFL Mock Draft

Round 2, 35th Overall, NY Jets: Tyler Linderbaum, C, Iowa

I was surprised to see Jameson Williams still on the board at pick No. 14. But I was absolutely floored to see Iowa's Tyler Linderbaum still available at the top of Round 2. There was no chance I was going to pass on him here.

Linderbaum is widely viewed as one of the best center prospects the NFL has seen in years and most project him as a mid-to-late first-round pick at this stage. That's why it was an absolute no-brainer to snag him on Day 2.

At 6-foot-3, 290 pounds, Linderbaum is everything teams look for in a center prospect. He's supremely athletic, as technically refined as any center prospect could be, and cerebral at the point of attack.

The Jets could shift Connor McGovern over to right guard (or cut ties) and insert Linderbaum as a day-one starter with the chance to become one of the best centers in football before long.

Round 2, 38th Overall, NY Jets: Trent McDuffie, CB, Washington

In a cornerback class headlined by players like Derek Stingley Jr., Andrew Booth Jr., and Kaiir Elam, Washington's Trent McDuffie shouldn't be overlooked. He's someone who could very easily be just as good if not better than his fellow draftmates.

At 5-foot-11, 195 pounds, McDuffie is a little smaller than the other athletic freaks in this class, but he more than makes up for it with the other aspects of his game. He's versatile, athletic, intelligent, physical, and has good ball skills.

Some might project McDuffie as a slot-exclusive prospect in the NFL, but he proved at Washington that he can succeed on the boundary too. He would be a perfect fit in Robert Saleh's defense as a high-IQ cornerback who excels in zone coverage.

Don't be surprised if Trent McDuffie ends up being a really good player at the next level.

Round 2, 54th Overall, NY Jets: Jalen Wydermyer, TE, Texas A&M (TRADE)

The Jets were able to move up from 108 to 54 as part of that Eagles trade on Day 1. And with the 54th overall pick, they addressed a position that has long been overlooked.

Jalen Wydermyer is making a strong case to be TE1 in a pretty talented class and he has the size and route-running ability to be a perfect fit in the Jets' offense.

At 6-foot-5, 255 pounds, Wydermyer is a physically-imposing tight end who has soft hands, is a good route-runner, and obviously serves as a dynamic red-zone threat given his frame. On top of that, he's a more than capable blocker.

I'd expect the Jets to target more of a "complete" tight end who can be equally effective as a receiver and a blocker and Wydermyer fits that criteria more than any player in this class.

Round 3, 69th Overall, NY Jets: Chad Muma, LB, Wyoming

The Jets need to address the linebacker position this offseason and one of my favorite fits for their defense is Wyoming's Chad Muma. At 6-foot-3, 242 pounds, Muma is your classic modern-day MIKE linebacker who has the athleticism to match up with opposing tight ends.

He has the size and coverage skills needed to be a three-down linebacker and the run-stuffing ability to be a force on early downs. He's one of my favorite Day 2 prospects in this entire class.

Drafting Muma would allow the Jets to move C.J. Mosley to more of an outside linebacker role, one that the team flirted with in training camp. Muma would take over the role Jarrad Davis was supposed to play this season.

A linebacker trio of Muma, Mosley, and Quincy Williams has a lot of upside to it.

Round 4, 114th Overall, NY Jets: Smoke Monday, S, Auburn

If there was an all-name team for this draft class, Auburn's Quindarious "Smoke" Monday would be an obvious addition. But for as cool of a name as he has, he's just as promising of a prospect on the field.

At 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, Monday has great size for the safety position and excels as more of a box defender where he can use his size and athleticism to disrupt underneath routes, blitz the quarterback, and stuff the run.

He's a prototypical strong safety who probably lacks the deep speed and fluidity to ever be an elite coverage safety, but he makes up for it with his physicality and could still be a starter in this league.

Monday makes more sense for the Jets if they land a player like Marcus Williams or Jessie Bates in free agency, someone who can fill that center-field free safety role.

Round 5, 145th Overall, NY Jets: Kellen Diesch, OT, Arizona State

The Jets will have an interesting decision to make at offensive tackle this offseason. Mekhi Becton will return in 2022 with legitimate injury concerns, George Fant put together a career year at left tackle, and Morgan Moses has held down the fort on the right side.

Whatever direction the Jets go in, it might be best to add a young developmental tackle to their roster as they eye the future. Arizona State's Kellen Diesch could be an ideal target on Day 3.

At 6-foot-7, 300 pounds, Diesch is tall and lanky for the position but has the athletic upside to be a pretty good tackle in the future. He lacks the raw power to be a regular starter at this stage and is much more effective in pass protection than as a run blocker.

But if the Jets are looking for a high-upside swing tackle to develop, Diesch could be their guy.

Round 5, 159th Overall, NY Jets: Brian Robinson Jr., RB, Alabama

Even with Michael Carter showing signs of stardom as a rookie, don't be surprised if the Jets add another running back during the draft. And with Alabama's Brian Robinson Jr. somehow still on the board in Round 5, I couldn't pass on the opportunity.

At 6-foot-1, 225 pounds, Robinson is everything the Jets are missing at the running back position. He's a powerful back who excels running in between the tackles and has the balance and lower-body strength to absorb and run through first contact on a regular basis.

Robinson would give the Jets a true short-yardage back to pair with Carter, Ty Johnson, and whoever else the team brings in at the position. And that's the type of player this offense has been needing.

He has the upside to develop into a featured player in the offense but could easily carve out an early role as a short-yardage power back.