New York Jets strike gold in Daniel Jeremiah’s latest mock draft
New York Jets fans (and fans of any NFL team, for that matter) tend to complain about the majority of mock drafts they read.
This one, however, should put smiles on the faces of Jets fans.
NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah released his first mock draft of the season on Jan. 21. In the No. 4 overall slot, Jeremiah has the Jets selecting Oregon edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux – a prospect who many believe will be selected with the first overall pick.
“I’d be very tempted to take Ikem Ekwonu here (I have the N.C. State tackle as my top offensive lineman),” Jeremiah writes. “But the Jets defense was notoriously awful last year. They will get Carl Lawson back (Achilles), but they still need more pass rush. I could see Thibodeaux sliding, but his blend of length and burst is impressive.”
At the website NFL Mock Draft Database, Thibodeaux is being mocked to the Jacksonville Jaguars at No. 1 overall in 36.8% of the 300-plus mock drafts in the site’s data sample, making him the most commonly-mocked player in that slot. Another 44.6% of mock drafts have him going to the Detroit Lions at No. 2 overall.
Thibodeaux is an electric edge rusher who would give the Jets another dangerous weapon in their defensive front-four. He would presumably start on the edge opposite of Carl Lawson, pushing John Franklin-Myers inside back to defensive tackle.
With the 10th overall pick in his mock draft, Jeremiah has the Jets selecting Washington cornerback Trent McDuffie.
“McDuffie is an ultra-clean player on tape,” Jeremiah writes. “He’s quick, fluid, tough, rarely out of position and can play the ball. He’d upgrade the Jets’ intriguing mix of talented young players at the position. ”
In Jeremiah’s mock, the Jets pass on LSU cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. to take McDuffie at No. 10. Stingley goes off the board two picks later to the Minnesota Vikings.
Jeremiah worked alongside Jets general manager Joe Douglas in the Baltimore Ravens’ front office, so his opinion on what the Jets may do is certainly worth putting stock into. In his final mock ahead of the 2020 draft, Jeremiah correctly predicted the Jets would select Mekhi Becton with the 11th overall pick.
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