The 2020 NFL Draft will be held this coming Thursday and the New York Jets have been one of the more interesting teams coming into the draft. The Jets have several notable needs but have also been rumored to be a team that might trade down. Let’s suspend the belief that the Jets would trade down for a moment. What would a Jets draft look like?
First, let’s address the Jets’ needs: their biggest positional needs are offensive line, wide receiver, defensive back, and edge.
Where are the Jets positionally in this year’s NFL Draft? The Jets have eight picks in this year’s draft at 11, 48, 68, 79, 120, 158, 191, 211.
Who will the Jets take in the 2020 NFL Draft? Drumroll please…
Round 1, Pick 11: The Jets select…
Mekhi Becton, Offensive Tackle, Louisville.
The Jets have not used a first-round pick on the offensive line since 2006 when they drafted D’Brickashaw Ferguson and Nick Mangold. Both became stalwarts on that offensive line for the next decade. Becton can be a player who can make that type of impact, too. He is one of four high-end offensive line prospects in this season’s draft. Becton possesses the right physical tools for a tackle: size, strength, and grit. His weight has been a concern as well as a recently flagged drug test, but the reward could possibly outweigh the risks. (No pun intended.)
Round 2, Pick 48: The Jets select…
Chase Claypool, Wide Receiver, Notre Dame.
The last big receiver that the Jets had on an active roster was Brandon Marshall in 2016. But this prospect has both speed and size. One thing the Jets lack is height at the wide receiver position. Claypool is listed at 6’4” and 248 lbs. and he also ran the 40-yard dash in under 4.45 seconds. One aspect of his game that he needs to work on is separation quickness, but that is something he can work on in his rookie season. The Jets swung and missed on last year’s second-round pick (Jachal Polite). General manager Joe Douglas will be hard-pressed to make this one count.
Round 3, Pick 68: The Jets select…
Jeff Gladney, Cornerback, TCU.
The Jets can thank the Giants for this pick. The Jets need additional depth at the corner spot and Gladney could bring dawg-type mentality to a corps of cornerbacks. Gladney has developed into a ballhawk who can annoy opposing receivers with his quickness and his foot speed. One concern is his size; he’s 5’10”, slender, and is prone to get blown up against bigger blockers. But if his dawg-type mentality is enough to annoy opposing receivers, then I’m okay with that.
Round 3, Pick 79: The Jets select…
Darrynton Evans, Running Back, Appalachian State.
With the prospect of Running Back LeVeon Bell possibly being a cap casualty in 2021 looming, Douglas has to look to the future at the position. Replacing him with a running back with the versatility that Bell possesses would be a priority for the Jets. Enter Darrynton Evans. Evans rushed for nearly 1,500 yards with App State in 2019. He has speed (4.41 40-yard dash) and possesses the same patient running game as Bell. Evans needs to work on his leg strength as well as his blocking skills. But with Bell’s future uncertain, the time is now to take a back.
Part two coming tomorrow.
Agree? Disagree? Let me know in the comments below or on Twitter, @WhoIsRyanMcC. And if you’re looking to have some fun during the NFL Draft, be sure to read this article from the best Miami Dolphins writer in the office!
