Despite a flurry of trades that have rewritten the draft board, Joe Douglas and the New York Jets fully intend on using the No. 2 pick.
Speculation reigns over which prospect’s name will appear in the second slot of the 2021 NFL draft. But recent reports suggest we’ll know which team will appear in that post.
According to a report from NBC Sports’ Peter King, general manager Joe Douglas has no plans to trade the second overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft—one that will be made one month from Monday. Many believe the New York Jets will use that choice to take BYU quarterback Zach Wilson after the Provo passer impressed during his pro day last week.
This news comes days after San Francisco, Miami, and Philadelphia rewrote the draft’s early stanzas, which now place them in the third, sixth, and 12th slots respectively.
King’s own report doesn’t stop him from speculating on the Jets’ possibly sending the pick over to the Carolina Panthers.
The Panthers have not fully committed to bringing back incumbent Teddy Bridgewater and face uncertainty behind him in P.J. Walker, Will Grier, and Tommy Stevens. Carolina picks eighth on April 29 and the top passing prospects will likely be gone when it’s their turn.
“I hear Joe Douglas is standing firm and is not interested in trading the second pick,” King writes. “But I believe there could be one team left that is interested in moving up, even at a ridiculous cost. That is Carolina, picking eighth in the first round.”
In his speculation, King feels Douglas could be “tempted” if Carolina sends over their 2022 and 2023 picks as well, which would lead the Jets to stick with their own incumbent, Sam Darnold.
Under King’s vision, the Jets would the eighth and 23rd picks this year before choosing three times in the first round in 2022. The current extras stem from the Seattle trade that sent Jamal Adams to the Pacific Northwest last summer.
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If the Jets were to shift their quarterback stance, don’t expect Darnold to net a similar yield. As discussed earlier on Jet X, even a late third-round pick would be considered “a little rich” for Darnold.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
