For the better part of the last three months of pre-draft analysis, the New York Jets have seemingly debated between taking the best offensive line prospect or the best pass catcher prospect available to them with the seventh overall pick.
Perhaps we were all wrong.
Analysis from ESPN, courtesy of Jets beat reporter Rich Cimini, highlights a potential swing to the position New York could be targeting.
Spoiler alert: It’s not a pass-catcher.
Underrated Jets position need
Cimini reported data from ESPN’s draft predictor that “expert mock drafts, Scouts, Inc. grades and team needs to estimate the chances each player is taken at each pick number.”
The top position, expectedly, is the offensive line. Most mock drafts have the Jets selecting Missouri right tackle Armand Membou with the seventh overall pick. New York has a need at right tackle after Morgan Moses left in free agency.
Not shocking.
The second position, though? Georgia edge rusher Jalon Walker.
In a deep class of edge rushers, Walker is considered the second-best player at the position behind Penn State’s Abdul Carter. With Carter expected to be long gone by the time the Jets make their pick, they could focus on Walker next.
In terms of overall need, edge rusher is an underrated one for New York.
Former first-round pick Jermaine Johnson is coming off an Achilles injury, and there’s no guarantee he’ll be 100% by the time the 2025 season rolls around. Will McDonald, another former first-round pick, is coming off an excellent sophomore season with 10.5 sacks but is considered undersized to be an every-down player at this point.
Walker isn’t exactly beating any world records for edge rushers, though. He stands 6-foot-1 and weighs over 240 pounds. His pro-comp is former Georgia teammate Nolan Smith, who is another undersized edge rusher who has carved out an every-down role with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Draft conundrum
Is it worth the Jets to take a flier on a clearly talented, but undersized edge rusher again? It should be of note that Walker’s potential selection is sitting at 18% right now—easily the second best among the list.
Rounding out the list, while continuing the surprise, are Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty and LSU tackle Will Campbell (both around 15%). Then came Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders at 12%.
Tight end Tyler Warren was sixth on the list at a staggering 4%.
So, while many Jets fans are looking for a pass catcher like Warren to bring stability to the middle of the field, the prevailing theory around the league is that the team is more likely to address their edge rushing need before their pass-catching one.
