I am not Darren Mougey.
But if I were the New York Jets’ general manager, this would be my big board entering the first round of the draft.
We are not ranking these players based on their grades as overall prospects, nor are we considering the likelihood of each being available at No. 7. The idea is to treat this as if the Jets had the opportunity to pick between all of them. We will rank the prospects based on which would be the best selections according to the Jets’ needs, positional value, and their overall grades as prospects.
Blue chips
1. Cam Ward, QB, Miami
Many people view this quarterback class as one of the weakest in history, but in my opinion, that is mostly due to the depth. I am tantalized by Ward’s arm talent and pocket mobility and I picture him becoming a great quarterback in this league. Choosing him would be a no-brainer if the Jets had the opportunity, even with Justin Fields on the roster.
2. Travis Hunter, CB/WR, Colorado
Hunter will not have the two-way impact that he had in college, but the advantage of his versatility is that it drastically raises his floor. If he tries and fails at one position, there is a whole different avenue he can try to find success – a luxury no other player in the NFL can offer. You are essentially getting two chances at finding a great player.
3. Abdul Carter, EDGE, Penn State
Carter’s medicals seem to be checking out fine, which erases any major concerns about his NFL draft outlook. He projects as a star edge rusher in the league. While the Jets have already used two of their last three first-round picks on the position, they have too many question marks and too little depth to rule out a prospect like Carter.
Great prospects, great positional value
4. Will Campbell, OT, LSU
Campbell’s arm length is definitely a concern worth monitoring, but his pedigree is too good to be outweighed by a couple of inches. He is a five-star recruit who started on the blind side for an SEC powerhouse as a true freshman and allowed four sacks in three seasons. The resume speaks for itself, as does the film.
The Jets specifically need a right tackle, but I do not have concerns about Campbell transitioning to the right side.
5. Armand Membou, OT, Missouri
Membou’s post-combine surge has taken the draft world by surprise, but the film shows that he is a legitimate top-10 prospect who is not solely profiting off his athletic profile.
Membou is no slam dunk, as he certainly needs some technical refinement, especially in the run game. However, his pass protection looks pro-ready, and his upside is stellar. A pure right tackle, he would smoothly slide into the Jets’ starting five.
6. Mason Graham, DT, Michigan
New York badly needs a defensive tackle, and Graham is the clear-cut No. 1 player at the position. With his pure technical skills, he would immediately slide in as the starter next to Quinnen Williams.
The concern for the Jets is whether Graham fits next to Williams. He is very undersized at 6-foot-3 and 296 pounds with short arms and small hands. This means his NFL home will be at 3-technique, which is also Williams’ natural position. Ideally, the Jets would rather find a 1-technique who can anchor the middle, allowing Williams to spread outside and maximize his pass-rush impact.
Still, the Jets would be hard-pressed to pass up on Graham if both of the offensive tackles are gone. He is too skilled, and he plays an important position that also happens to be a major position of need.
Great prospects, questionable positional value
7. Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State
It can be argued that Warren is a better tight end prospect then some of the players in the above tier at their respective positions, but tight ends simply do not offer enough value to be drafted over an offensive or defensive lineman unless the gap in talent is enormous, and I don’t see that here.
Still, Warren projects as a big-bodied receiving target who also has the ideal frame and willingness to become a great blocker. Two-way tight ends are hard to find in the NFL, and Warren is the best bet to become one in this class.
8. Colston Loveland, TE, Michigan
I am pretty high on Colston Loveland. He has more of a modern pass-catching skill set than Warren, possessing more short-area quickness and separation ability (while Warren wins in contested catching). Additionally, Loveland is two years younger and has outperformed Warren at each respective stage of their careers; Warren’s status as a fifth-year breakout is a little concerning.
I give Warren the slight edge as an overall prospect since I think his physique and play style project better to NFL-level blocking, but Loveland is no slouch as a blocker and could end up holding his own in that area as a pro. If the Jets believe strongly in Loveland’s blocking upside, they could have him ranked above Warren.
Elite prospect, luxury pick
9. Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State
Jeanty might be the best prospect in the draft, but he is a running back. Simply put, if you are going to take a running back in the top 10, you better be damn sure he will become a franchise-altering talent throughout the duration of his rookie contract.
There are reasons to believe Jeanty will do that for the Jets. They have a good offensive line in place and project to operate a run-first offense. However, the Jets simply have too many needs at more important positions for me to rank a running back any higher than this, no matter how special he is.
Wild cards
- 10. Jalon Walker, EDGE, Georgia
- 11. Kelvin Banks, OT, Texas
- 12. Shemar Stewart, EDGE, Texas A&M
- 13. Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona
- 14. Mykel Williams, EDGE, Georgia
The Jets will have at least three of those top nine prospects available to them, so I would be surprised if they chose any of these six players – but not totally surprised. We still know very little about Darren Mougey’s football philosophies, so it is impossible for us to definitively say what he may or may not do on draft weekend.
Walker, Stewart, and Williams are elite athletes who provide high upside on the edge. Banks is a wild card to consider at tackle. McMillan may be higher on other people’s boards, but I personally do not see him as a worthy value at No. 7, even when considering the positional value and the Jets’ need for a receiver.
