New attempt using the NFL Mock Draft Database Simulator. I would be in favor of trading back at 4, but if we're stuck there, I think we could do worse than this possible draft. 4 Round: 1 Kyle Hamilton S | Notre Dame (An exceptional talent at safety, a position of great need) 6 Round: 1 Ikem Ekwonu OT | NC State (Another great athlete who can easily play right guard in 2022 then move over to OT in 2023) 35 Round: 2 Jermaine Johnson EDGE | Florida State (The productive edge rusher we need to add to Carl Lawson and JFM) 38 Round: 2 Trey McBride TE | Colorado State (A productive TE who can block and be ZW's best friend as an outlet) 69 Round: 3 Christian Harris LB | Alabama (A fast, athletic linebacker who is good in coverage and who already knows how to play linebacker!) 109 Round: 4 Tariq Castro-Fields CB | Penn State (A big, fast, fast athletic CB to challenge Echols for #2 CB) 116 Round: 4 Reggie Roberson Jr. WR | SMU (A WR with good size and productivity who has run a 10.59 100 meters) 144 Round: 5 Owen Pappoe LB | Auburn (More linebacker depth, from a linebacker who has run a 4.38 40) 156 Round: 5 John Ridgeway DL | Arkansas (A giant DT who has run a 4.97 40 and who destroys opposing centers)
Thought I'd add a potential roster based on these picks: OFFENSE: QB Wilson, Flacco (FA), White (FA) RB Carter, Coleman (FA), Johnson, FB Bawden (FA) WR Moore, Davis, Crowder (FA), Berrios (FA), Roberson (R), Mims TE McBride (R), Kroft (FA), Yeboah OT Fant, Moses (FA), Becton, Edoga OG AVT, Ekwonu (R), LDT (FA) OC McGovern, Feeney (FA) DEFENSE: DE JFM, Carl Lawson, Johnson (R), Huff, Phillips (FA) DT Q, Fatukasi (FA), Marshall, Ridgeway (R) LB Mosley, Harris (R), Williams, Sherwood, Pappoe (R), Nasirildeen CB Hall, Castro-Fields (R), Echols, Carter II, Guidry (FA), Dunn S Hamilton (R), Joyner (FA), Davis, Pinnock [Edit: substitute Marcus Williams or Jessie Bates for Joyner if possible]
Not bad. I’m glad to see a mock with a first round OL included. The OL needs more beef and Ekwonu would bring it. McBride would be great. Christian Harris is a good player but I have a hard time believing he’ll be around in the third round.
Yeah, that database seemed to undervalue him. However, I'm guessing that one of the linebackers who can help our team will slide to 69 (maybe To'o To'o, Brandon Smith, or Damone Clark).
You could be right. I watched the first half of last night’s bowl game and I came away impressed with Oklahoma’s RB Kennedy Brooks. He breaks tackles like crazy - hard to bring down. He could be the thunder to Carter’s lightening speed. I think he’s under the radar and the Jets could steal him maybe at the top of the fourth round….
100%! He has terrific balance as well as vision, quickness, and speed. The draft prognosticators seem to be greatly undervaluing him. If the Jets can get extra picks by trading down from pick #4, he should be under prime consideration. It does seem that the San Francisco model we're going by emphasizes the RB by committee approach.
Good job on both, but I think I may have a few disagreements. I haven't done a lot of research into draft prospects yet, but everything I've seen so far projects Ekwonu as an OG in the NFL, not OT. If that is accurate, he should not be the 2nd 1st round pick imo. I don't know anything about Johnson or Pappoe, either. I'll have to check into them. In terms of FA, I don't think Feeney will be back, and would be surprised if Joyner and Phillips are back, and Rankins and Hardee aren't.
Yes, Ekwonu started off at left guard at NC State, but he moved to left tackle during his freshman season. The latest reports I heard were that scouts initially thought he'd be restricted to OG in the NFL but became convinced during the last season that he could actually remain at OT. This has raised his draft position projections on many sites. [Edit: forgot to mention] If Feeney holds his own at center during the next two games, we should consider resigning him to a reasonable deal as a backup center, who can also be an emergency reserve at both guard positions. I'm concerned about our starting safeties more than I am our special team gunner. Hardee has been good as a gunner but I think a younger gunner can be found. I'm really hoping we sign Bates or Marcus Williams. I wouldn't be opposed to Rankins, but he really hasn't played well this year (PFF grade 45.8, 114th out of 130 tackles rated), and his 1st round pedigree means that he won't be cheap. Phillips is the opposite in my view in that he is a good run-stopping left defensive end that can back up JFM. From what I've seen, Johnson is grossly under-rated, and I expect his pass-rush skills to blossom in the NFL. I haven't seen a lot of Pappoe, but from what I've seen, he's a small but fast 4-3 linebacker, who needs to be covered up by his line but who plays well in space. Here are some clips of Ekwonu (Film Room 108 - Ikem Ekwonu - YouTube and Johnson: Jermaine Johnson II 2021 FSU Highlights - YouTube
So Iky has played LT and LG and you want to switch him to RG and maybe eventually RT? With an early 1st? Interesting…. I know for a FACT Rankins can be he for $5.5mm next year so idt we’d be breaking the bank to keep him.
I could be wrong, but I think I've heard that moving from left guard to right guard is not as hard as moving from left to right tackle. At this point, none of us knows whether the Jets would need a left or right tackle in 2023. Fant's contract could be up and gone, Becton could flame out, etc. Then we would need a LT. Then there's the possibility of a 2022 training camp in which Fant continues to play well at LT (and we extend him because of his low tread wear) and in which Becton gets into good shape and takes his game to RT, where he often played at Louisville. In which case, I'll take this (thank you very much) as my long-term Jets line: Fant/AVT/McGovern/Ekwonu/Becton As I noted, I hope Rankins could be added for a reasonable contract. We would have to be confident that he plays better than he has this season, though. I think we would also have to justify giving more than 5 1/2 M to a DT who in 2018 reached 8 sacks and 12 TFL but who has never in five other NFL years exceeded 4 sacks and 5 TFL. We could probably find a younger, much cheaper DT to give us what Rankins has averaged in his last three years in the league (less than 3 sacks per season, etc.).
Love McBride and a lot of the players you took. Roberson probably would’ve been a higher pick if he didn’t wreck his knee last year and get bumped down the depth chart with a new QB this year as a super senior. I don’t think Christian Harris falls that far. I think he’s solidly a second round prospect. I just don’t personally like only getting one playmaker for the offense in the first 6 picks. Our receiver group with this draft would be weak. I’m in on both the Bengals & Rams models - keep adding playmakers at all costs and let the receivers be the centerpiece of your offense. Both have patchwork offensive lines. Same with the Cowboys RE: weapons except they also have two Hall of Fame offensive lineman.
I'm all for adding a WR in both 2022 and 2023. Let's say David Bell this year, then maybe Kayshon Boutte next year. It looks like Mims isn't long for the team and Davis is under contract for two more years. A trio of Moore, Bell, and Boutte would certainly give opposing defenses fits.
I like Bell but his lack of twitch and speed in/out of routes does worry me. He can certainly out leap defensive backs and has excellent hands. I like him in the second, but I want a bit more explosiveness. Bell is a good compliment to Moore though and has played in poor weather in the Big 10 for his entire career.
Williams has that explosiveness, not sure where he'll be taken. I also like Burks, but he's looking like a round 1 selection. The Ohio State guys will likely be off the board on day 1 too.
Very interesting points. I'm personally hoping that Moore has Steve Smith #1 receiver potential. Davis would then be an adequate #2 and Crowder a professional slot guy. You may be right in your offensive approach, though, so I thought I'd emphasize WR more in my next attempt in the Mock Draft Simulator. (Loving Carter against TB.) I came up with Hamilton, Ekwonu, Johnson, McBride (all same, based on value and need), Tolbert WR, Clark LB, Castro Fields, Roberson, Ridgeway.
You can't take a Safety 1st and use a Top 5 pick on one. We did that with Adams. Unless he turns into Ronnie Lott, it's a waste. Have to go LB, Edge, or if there is one...shutdown CB (Revis Jr.). Or OT. Or WR. No RBs, Safeties, or interior D-Line.
