With the No. 7 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft less than two weeks away, the New York Jets remain one of the biggest wild cards in the draft.
First-year general manager Darren Mougey could do anything with the pick, whether it is a stick-and-pick, a trade up for the right player, or a trade down to acquire additional draft capital to help fill as many roster voids as possible.
The organization continues to host prospects for meetings and visits ahead of the draft, and here is one key trend to watch on draft day.
Trade down for defensive lineman
According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, the Jets hosted Georgia edge rusher Mykel Williams and Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon for official top-30 visits. With Harmon’s visit, Garafolo added he would be an option for Gang Green in a trade back from No. 7 overall or a trade up from No. 42 if he begins to slip on draft night.
Williams ranks 15th overall on Mock Draft Database’s consensus big board, while Harmon ranks No. 31.
Hailing from Hardaway High School in Columbus, Georgia, Williams was a highly touted five-star recruit. The defensive lineman initially committed to USC before switching his decision to Georgia and ultimately spent all three of his college seasons as a Bulldog.
Appearing in 40 total games for the Bulldogs, Williams posted 67 total tackles (23 for loss) with 14 sacks and four pass defenses with three forced fumbles. The Georgia native’s most productive season came in 2024, appearing in 12 games while logging 21 total tackles (nine for loss) with five sacks and two forced fumbles while earning second-team All-SEC honors.
Standing at 6-foot-5 and 260 pounds with 34⅜-inch arms, Williams presents an excellent build for an NFL edge rusher while playing with a supremely high motor. The Georgia product is also known for his highly impressive run defense, recording an 82.9 run-defense grade in 2024 per Pro Football Focus.
As for Harmon, he began his college career at Michigan State, where he arrived as a three-star prospect out of Loyola High School in Detroit. The Detroit native spent three seasons with the Spartans before transferring to Oregon for the 2024 campaign.
Harmon played in 28 games from 2021 to 2023 in East Lansing, totaling 71 tackles, including seven for a loss, 3.5 sacks, and a forced fumble.
He took a significant leap in his lone season with the Ducks, emerging as one of the top defensive tackles in the 2025 draft class. Harmon appeared in 14 games for Oregon, finishing with 45 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles.
At 6-foot-4 and 313 pounds, Harmon was a disruptive presence on the interior defensive line. He earned an 86.3 pass rush grade and an 80.5 run defense grade from PFF, showcasing explosive burst off the line, active hands, and relentless effort on every snap.
Despite signing three defensive linemen in free agency (Byron Cowart, Jay Tufele, and Derrick Nnadi), the Jets still lack a steady presence on the interior next to Quinnen Williams, such as Harmon. They could also use help off the edge, which Williams could bring behind Will McDonald, particularly with Jermaine Johnson working his way back from a season-ending Achilles injury.
Harmon and Williams are not realistic targets for the Jets at No. 7, so the Jets would have to move into the mid-to-late first round for them to be seen as viable options.
In a trade scenario where the Jets wanted to select Williams or Harmon, a trade up from No. 42 may be preferable to a trade down from No. 7. That top-10 pick presents a valuable opportunity to secure a true blue-chip player, something the team shouldn’t pass up. Trading up from No. 42 would allow the Jets to target a second first-round talent while keeping their shot at an elite prospect intact.
The Jets have many options regarding the NFL draft, and they’re not tipping their hand.
