It's almost certain that on Thursday, April 29, the New York Jets will use their 2nd overall pick on BYU quarterback, Zach Wilson.
When Wilson arrives in New York, he's going to need a team around him, and with the Jets nine remaining picks, four of which come in the first three rounds, they have plenty of opportunities to build through the draft.
The next few picks the Jets currently have are the 23rd (via Seattle), No. 34, No, 66, and No.86 ( via Seattle).
The Jets would benefit from drafting at nearly any position, but O-Line and cornerback are some of the most prominent team needs. Before Free Agency, a wide receiver would have been on that list, but with the acquisition of former Titan Corey Davis, and former Jaguar Keelan Cole, the wide receiver position becomes something they have the luxury of addressing in later rounds, especially with the depth of this class.
Who Could Jets Take at Cornerback?
The Jets are in dire need of some help in their secondary. Their roster is a bundle of young, inexperienced players. Both of their starting corners, Bryce Hall and Bless Austin, combined for just one interception throughout all of their 17 starts. According to ProFootbalFocus, neither of those two players surpassed a coverage grade of 63. The two combined for only 83 tackles all of last season.
This leads to the question: Who should the Jets select at cornerback?
Lucky for the Jets, they have the 23rd and 34th overall picks, which puts them in prime position for a top-notch selection. We can assume the top two corners, Patrick Surtain II of Alabama, and Jaycee Horn of South Carolina will be taken by their second selection. However, the Jets still have many options.
There have been reports coming out that Northwestern CB, Greg Newsome II is rising up draft boards. He allowed just 12 completions with his 34 targets. Pro Football Focus grades him as having the best feet out of all CB's in the draft. The Big Ten had a shortened schedule due to COVID last year, which means there is less tape on Newsome, however, nothing proves to us that a longer schedule would have given contrasting results.
Caleb Farley, out of Virginia Tech, dropped on certain boards due to his recent back surgery. However, if the Jets were able to land him at 23, it would be major. His speed is elite, and in 2019 he allowed a passer rating of just 28.6, plus he had six picks in two seasons. Another thing to note about Farley is he uses his above-average size to his advantage. Measuring in at 6-foot-2, and 207 lbs, his size offers him the ability to take advantage of receivers on the outside.
Which O-Line Prospects Could Jets Seek?
The addition of Mehki Becton was an immediate hit last year. Although he missed the Pro Bowl, Becton made an excellent case, leading the fan vote among all AFC tackles, and performing extremely well with pass blocking. This does not mean New York's o-line is ready to go for the 2021 season. According to Pro Football Focus, the O-Line ranked 29th overall, with a major need coming from the guard position.
Most of the elite linemen stop after Northwestern's Rashawan Slater, and Oregon's Penei Sewell, so it would be a project player that they'd need to develop. Alijah Vera-Tucker from USC is probably the 3rd best lineman in this draft, and I'd expect him to be taken off the board by the Jets 23rd selection.
Oklahoma State's Teven Jenkins has been rising up draft boards, and some consider him the 3rd or 4th best lineman behind those previously mentioned. He has a lack of refinement in his technique, but he plays very aggressively. This experienced lineman played RT for the past two seasons, however, he has played everywhere but center on the line. The Jets could use someone who is flexible considering their lack of depth.
The overall feel with the Jet's offensive line is they need someone to pair with Becton in order to build around them, and they need to get younger with their o-line which is currently the 26th eldest in the league.
New York is in a massive rebuild phase and could easily improve by drafting nearly every position, but if they walk away with any of these selections, their major holes are addressed.
