The NFL draft is an opportunity to add players who can make an impact not only as individuals, but also by supplementing players already on the roster.
Here are a few prospects in the 2025 draft who could help lift up some of the key players on the New York Jets.
Justin Fields: Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State
The Jets are committed to building an offense around Justin Fields that complements his unique skill set.
To do that, they absolutely must have quality players at tight end. Look no further than some of the plays that New York projects to add to its playbook around Fields. Most of them require at least one reliable tight end on the field to be executed properly (often two).
While Colston Loveland is giving him a push, Tyler Warren remains the most complete tight end prospect in this class. On top of his physical dominance and versatility as a pass-catching weapon, Warren has the ideal frame and mentality to become a forceful point-of-attack blocker in the NFL. He stands at 6-foot-5 and 256 pounds while showing a willingness to block on film.
If the Jets are serious about building a Fields-centric offense in 2025, Warren is their best option to complement that vision.
Garrett Wilson: Armand Membou, OT, Missouri
Garrett Wilson is looking to tap into a new level as he enters his fourth season. To pull that off, one of the primary keys is to unlock his potential as a deep threat.
Despite his speed and aerial agility, Wilson has not been very productive down the field. Across three NFL seasons, Wilson has secured just 19 deep receptions (20+ air yards) in 51 games. That’s one deep catch every 2.7 games.
In 2024, Wilson tied for 22nd among wide receivers with just seven deep receptions. On these throws, he had no drops and secured 4-of-6 contested targets. The main issue was that he did not receive enough opportunities. Despite tying for fourth at the position in total targets (154), he was 19th in deep targets (20).
To get the most out of him, the Jets need to give Wilson more chances to do damage vertically. Fields is an ideal quarterback to unlock that part of his game, given not only his chemistry with Wilson but his arm strength and aggressiveness as a passer.
However, Wilson and Fields cannot connect for bombs if the offensive line does not buy enough time for deep routes to develop. That is why selecting Armand Membou at No. 7 is the best way to unlock Wilson.
Membou is an athletic freak who needs development on his run-blocking technique, but his pass-blocking looks NFL-ready. The numbers are there to back it up, as he yielded zero sacks, zero quarterback hits, and eight hurries on 411 pass-blocking snaps in 2024.
A pure right tackle, Membou could slide right in to complete a talented offensive line alongside Olu Fashanu, John Simpson, Joe Tippmann, and Alijah Vera-Tucker. With this front-five in place, the Jets would have all the time they need to set up a plethora of Fields-to-Wilson deep shots.
Quinnen Williams: Tyleik Williams, DT, Ohio State
Fans want to see more sacks out of Quinnen Williams – and he wants to see them, too. For that to happen, the Jets must take pressure off him in the run game, allowing him to play with more aggressiveness as a pass rusher.
Playing with little to no interior run-stuffing talent in his NFL career, Williams has been forced to shoulder an immense two-way burden for the Jets defense. Not only does he have to lead the pass rush, but he also has to anchor the run defense, which compromises his approach to pass rushing.
Williams must prepare each and every down to potentially face a double-team at the point of attack on a run play. This forces him to dial back his aggressiveness off the ball. If he gets caught losing his gap integrity and is washed out on a run play, the Jets are cooked since they do not have another defensive tackle to bail him out in these situations. Teams are confident they can get away with consistently double-teaming Williams and single-blocking his teammates, and they are usually proven right.
The Jets need to take some run-stuffing burden off Williams’ shoulders so he can come off the ball more aggressively without worrying as much about the repercussions. This would make him more dangerous as a pass rusher.
New York did not address this issue in free agency. They signed a player who fits the bill stylistically in Derrick Nnadi, but production-wise, he is hardly a rosterable player. They must find a better partner for Williams in the draft.
The second round may be their best chance to do it. Multiple big-bodied defensive tackles are projected to go in this part of the draft, highlighted by Ohio State’s Tyleik Williams. Ranked No. 43 on NFL Mock Draft Database’s consensus big board, Williams could be a perfect option for the Jets’ 42nd overall pick.
At 6-foot-3 and 334 pounds, Williams has the ideal frame to step in as a Day 1 early-down starter at 1-technique, allowing Quinnen to stay outside at 3-technique and wreak havoc as a pass rusher.
The two-time All-Big Ten selection complements his massive frame with proven run-stuffing production against top-tier competition. Williams earned an 88.6 run defense grade at Pro Football Focus in 2024, placing fourth-best among Power 4 defensive tackles and second-best in the Big Ten, trailing only Mason Graham.
It would be fascinating to see what type of pass-rushing impact Quinnen Williams could make if the Jets took some run-stopping responsibility off his plate.
Sauce Gardner: Jalon Walker, EDGE, Georgia
Interceptions are just one of numerous factors involved in evaluating a cornerback. Sauce Gardner’s lack of them does not change his status as one of the league’s best cover corners.
Still, we can all admit that Gardner is capable of more than one interception per season (his current career average). Gardner himself will admit it – and he also knows it is the next step to cementing his status as the game’s best cornerback in the eyes of the general public.
Gardner will be on the prowl for more picks in his first season under Aaron Glenn, who has a plan to help Gardner make more plays on the football. While Glenn’s coaching could make a significant impact for Gardner, the best thing New York could do for him is to put more pressure on the quarterback.
Only two NFL teams produced more than one interception per game in 2024 (18+ total interceptions): the Minnesota Vikings (24) and the Houston Texans (19). What do they have in common?
Elite edge rushers.
Minnesota’s Jonathan Greenard ranked third among edge rushers with 80 total pressures in 2024, while Houston’s Danielle Hunter placed seventh with 66. The Texans also had Will Anderson on the other side, who placed 25th with 51 despite missing three games.
It’s a simple formula: More edge pressure equals more interception opportunities for the secondary.
The Jets have upside on the edge with their homegrown duo of Will McDonald and Jermaine Johnson. However, both players come with major concerns.
McDonald’s pass-rush ceiling will be limited if he does not improve his bottom-tier run defense. Aaron Glenn clearly valued run defense in his edge setters with Detroit; he will quickly reduce McDonald’s snap count if the third-year man does not progress against the run.
Johnson is coming off an Achilles tear. Nobody knows how he will look.
The Jets should not cross this position off their shopping list in the first round. If they go that direction, Jalon Walker is an exciting dice roll when it comes to pass-rush potential.
Walker split between off-ball linebacker and edge rusher in college, but some project him as an NFL edge rusher. He remains on the small side for the role, checking in at 6-foot-1 and 243 pounds at the combine, but his athleticism and pass-rush potential are undeniable.
On just 195 pass-rush snaps in 2024, Walker produced 34 total pressures, including 6.5 sacks. He picked up a sack on 3.6% of his pass-rush snaps, a comparable rate to the draft’s No. 1 edge prospect, Abdul Carter (3.7%).
Whether he is used as an edge rusher or a linebacker who is deployed in creative ways, Walker is a ball of energy who will find his way into the backfield. If the Jets want to see more interceptions from their best cornerback, they need as much havoc in the backfield as possible, and Walker will bring it from one alignment or another.
