The 2022-23 NFL season has concluded for the New York Jets and that means it’s mock draft season!
The NFL Draft and Combine may be months out, but that doesn’t mean the pre-draft process will stop now that the Jets have a full offseason to try and continue the rebuild of their roster.
New York is in a pretty simple position. While loaded with talent all over the field, they have one main weakness and a couple of other smaller ones that can be fixed as well. It’s easy to see how a strong offseason could propel the Jets to the playoffs for the first time in 12 years.
My mock drafts will be simple, yet to the point and they’ll continue each week as the team gets closer and closer to April’s top football news cycle.
Now without further ado, let’s get it.
New York Jets Draft Capital
- Round 1, Pick 13 overall
- Round 2, Pick 43 overall
- Round 3, Pick 74 overall
- Round 4, Pick 109 overall
- Round 5, Pick 140 overall
- Round 6, Pick 171 overall
Mock Draft 1.0
*Trade* New York sends 2023, 2024, 2025 first-round selections, 2024, 2025 second-round picks, Elijah Moore and Carl Lawson to Baltimore for QB Lamar Jackson
The Jets need a quarterback this offseason and going through the draft clearly hasn’t worked. Their inability to develop signal-callers will lead to general manager Joe Douglas taking a major swing at available pieces. Lamar Jackson wants a fully guaranteed contract and it seems that Baltimore will be more inclined to decline that due to Jackson having dealt with a rash of injuries the last few years.
Enter Joe Douglas and the Jets. Jackson will be a long shot, but if Douglas can nab him, the Jets go from having a mediocre team to a true contender in the AFC.
Round 2, Pick 43 overall – OT, Matthew Bergeron – Syracuse
The Jets need to solidify their offensive line. While Max Mitchell was serviceable in his rookie season and the return of Mekhi Becton should alleviate some troubles, the Jets need better depth at key positions. Bergeron had a very good season this year for Syracuse and will offer some much-needed help for the Jets in a key area of need.
Round 3, Pick 74 overall – LB, Henry To’o To’o – Alabama
Quincy Williams and Kwon Alexander are both free agents this offseason and CJ Moseley has a potential out in 2023. That means the depth at linebacker will be far weaker than the Jets may be comfortable with. That means they’ll need to jump at a top linebacker if they get a chance. Henry To’o To’o is a perfect fit for the Robert Saleh defense. To’o To’o has solid size for the position and is rangy enough to move sideline to sideline. This would be a nice pickup here for the Jets.
Round 4, Pick 109 overall – WR, Jonathan Mingo -Mississippi
Mingo has great size for the position and could go much higher than the fourth round if he tests well at his pro-day and combine. Ole Miss has a solid history of good receivers and while the Jets could be spooked by Elijah Moore’s trade request, I think this is a good value take here.
Round 5, Pick 140 overall – OL, Eli Cox – Kentucky
You can’t have enough depth along the offensive line and Eli Cox is just that. Joe Douglas has a knack for finding strong value along the offensive line late in the draft and Cox has the pedigree and skillset to contribute early in his NFL career.
Round 6, Pick 171 overall – S, Trey Dean – Florida
The Jets’ secondary is already a top unit in the game but has a few free agents on their roster. They’ll need some extra depth and Dean could fill that role. He could certainly go higher if he tests well but this would be another value pick for Joe Douglas.
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