Three Best Options For Jets At No. 10 Overall Pick In Draft
After the Jets lost out to Miami in the recruitment of All-Pro wide receiver Tyreek Hill on Wednesday, it became pretty clear that General Manager Joe Douglas will be looking to use some of his draft capital next month on that crucial position.
Though there is a lot of pressure on Douglas to address what was the NFL’s worst defense last season, the priority for this offseason has to be building a better supporting cast around quarterback Zach Wilson, who had a trying rookie season in 2021. Gang Green has too much invested in Wilson, a No. 2 overall selection in last year’s Draft, and should have learned the lessons from the Sam Darnold Error.
Douglas improved the Jets offense on the margins in free agency, adding a starting guard and two tight ends. What was missing was that big playmaker who could take the ball to the house on any given touch.
Can Douglas find that in this Draft? I’m skeptical, but it won’t be for his lack of trying. Earlier in the week, I laid out the three best options for the Jets with their No. 4 overall pick (Three Best Options For Jets At No. 4 Overall Pick In Draft (substack.com)), so now it’s time to drill down to their No. 10 overall selection in the first round, once again using three different mock draft simulators:.
1) Drake London, wide receiver (USC)
The Trojans’ Pro Day isn’t until April 5, so we may know more then about the one area of concern for an otherwise terrific prospect at the X receiver position—and that’s only if the season-ending ankle injury London suffered in October has healed enough for him to run. London is more of a possession receiver than a deep threat, but he gets open through savvy route running and elite physicality using his 6-foot 4 frame. ProFootballFocus.com, which likened him to former Jet Brandon Marshall, credited London with an insane 19 contested catches in just 8 games last season and 22 missed tackles forced. He’s not a guy offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur will use on jet sweeps, but he could develop into a top-notch blocker for others on such plays. Overall, the 2022 receiver class is deep, but it doesn’t have the sure-thing top-end talent that last year’s group had. Still, I think Douglas should take a shot at whichever receiver he has at the top of his board, be it London or…
2) Garrett Wilson, wide receiver (Ohio State)
Whereas London gives off Marshall vibes, scouting reports describe Wilson as a lesser version of Davante Adams. Wilson is more of a dancer than a burner, though he was clocked at 4.38 in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine earlier this month, which is not too shabby. I could see Douglas preferring Wilson over London because of his explosiveness after the catch—Wilson had 13 touchdowns on 74 touches last season versus London’s 7 TDs on 89 touches. The likelihood that either London or Wilson tears it up as a rookie seems pretty low, but the Jets desperately need to add talent to the room and must target the best among the crop, whoever they view that to be. It should be noted that neither selection would be deemed “a reach.” Nor would it be redundant for Douglas to take another shot at a receiver with one of New York’s two second-round picks should one inexplicably fall like Elijah Moore last year. In one mock simulation, Western Michigan’s Skyy Moore, who projects to be more of a slot receiver, dropped into the Jets’ lap at the No. 35 overall slot.
3) Jermaine Johnson, Edge Rusher (Florida State)
Should the Jets choose a position other than receiver, it has to be edge rusher (assuming they don’t pick one at No. 4). New York’s coaching staff got a good look at Johnson at February’s Senior Bowl, though he was under the Lions’ jurisdiction. Still, the consensus was that Johnson was one of the best players at the event, regardless of position. Though a late bloomer, Johnson, 23, really took off after transferring from Georgia to Florida State for the 2021 college season. He transformed into a demon getting into the backfield, with 11.5 sacks and 17.5 tackles for a loss. Scouts say he’s even better at stopping the run than getting to the QB, though PFF gave him an excellent 80.9 pass rush grade in true pass sets, with 46 pressures in 415 pass rush snaps. I haven’t seen the Jets speak publicly about Johnson’s performance at the Senior Bowl—either they’ve already dismissed him as a first-round candidate or they’re trying to keep him under wraps for themselves.