NY Jets trade down TWICE in stacked 7-round 2022 NFL Mock Draft

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

I'm going to draft Chad Muma every chance I get because he's quickly becoming one of my favorite prospects in this entire class. A true three-down linebacker, Muma has been somewhat overshadowed by the likes of Devin Lloyd and Nakobe Dean.

But make no mistake about it, he has every chance to be just as good for a long time in the NFL. Coming from the same school as Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson, Muma has great size at 6-foot-3, 242 pounds but don't let his size fool you.

The Wyoming star can run with the best of them and might have some of the best short-area quickness in this class. He's a plus run-defender who more than holds his own in coverage and could take over as the Jets' MIKE linebacker of the future.

The Jets experimented with moving C.J. Mosley to WILL in training camp and Muma would be the perfect prospect to come in and assume MIKE duties in the middle of the defense.

Round 3, 91st Overall, NY Jets: Verone McKinley III, S, Oregon (TRADE)

Muma is one of my favorite prospects in this class, but Oregon's Verone McKinley III isn't too far behind either. Much like Muma, I think he's one of the safest prospects in this draft.

While he's a little lanky and might struggle somewhat in run defense, McKinley shines as a defensive playmaker with maybe the best ball skills in this class. The 2021 Consensus All-American finished with six interceptions in 14 games this season and had four more in 2019.

This Jets' defense needs guys who can create turnovers and McKinley's instincts in zone coverage combined with his superb ball skills allow him to do that.

Assuming the Jets let Marcus Maye walk in free agency, McKinley would be an ideal replacement that likely won't require significant draft capital. He's a day-one starter.