ESPN’s NFL Draft analyst thinks it’s almost a guarantee New York Jets are targeting one position in first round
ESPN’s Todd McShay believes the 13th overall pick has already been decided. Well, at least the position.
McShay told ESPN’s Rich Cimini he thinks “it’s close to a lock” that the New York Jets will select an offensive tackle in the first round.
This shouldn’t come as a shock to Jets fans, as it’s been the consensus for a while that New York will most likely take the best OT on the board. In fact, according to Mock Draft Database, 71.9% of mocks have the Jets selecting one of the top-3 OTs in this class.
That said, there are potential scenarios where a defensive tackle could make sense. A falling Jalen Carter would be appealing, although that seems unlikely. Perhaps the Jets would consider Pitt’s elite pass-rushing DT Calijah Kancey? Regardless, it appears the Jets have their eyes set elsewhere.
Cimini continued to break down the Jets’ options with McShay, which yielded some telling quotes that may come as a surprise to some.
Peter Skoronski is perhaps the most divisive of the Jets’ potential options, but Cimini believes he’d be the pick if he were on the board at 13. He says, “It’s hard to imagine [Joe] Douglas passing on a lineman as universally admired as Skoronski.”
McShay believes “Skoronski probably will be gone by 13”. Considering this, he has a different OT in mind for the Jets.
“I do think Broderick Jones makes a lot of sense [for the Jets]”, McShay said. “Broderick Jones has the most athletic upside and he doesn’t have a lot of wear and tear on him. … I see the athletic traits there to develop into a really good starter.”
Jones has the least experience of the top tackles but comes closest to Joe Douglas’ favored archetype. An athletic mauler, Jones is similar in profile to Mekhi Becton and Alijah Vera-Tucker.
The draft is just a week away. Will Cimini and McShay be right about the Jets’ intentions to select an offensive tackle? We’re about to find out.