Round 1
The Jets pick 4th and 10th in the first round of the NFL Draft. They desperately need help in every position except for OT, DL, and QB. They will draft Kayvon Thibodeaux and develop him under Robert Saleh. He has all the physical tools to became a great pass rusher, he just needs to join the right system and have the right development.
The Jets will choose Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner with the 10th overall pick. Gardner never allowed a single touchdown in his career despite starting since he was a true freshman. In 2021, he took his game to another level, allowing only 131 yards in 14 games. Bryce Hall is not a shutdown corner and was responsible for the bulk of pass attempts and touchdowns completed against the Jets
Round 2
In Round 2, the Jets get another close set of picks at #35 and #38. They will select Leo Chenal, inside linebacker from Wisconsin with pick #35. The Jets had a huge problem with missed tackles in the 2021 season, and Chenal’s run defense grade (94.1) is about as good as Micah Parsons was. (94.8). The Jets linebacker corps missed a total of 30 tackles last year, and Chenal would go a long way towards fixing that.
The Jets will take safety Jaquan Brisker with the 38th pick. Brisker has lots of physical tools, but just needs a year or two to develop under Whitehead. His size and reach will help the Jets cover against tight ends, and he can rack up tackles if he needs to.
Round 3
The Jets select Kerby Joseph and Greg Dulcich with the 69th pick. Kerby Joseph got 5 interceptions at Illinois and has a 38″ vertical. He’ll be a potent red zone defense chess piece and can help the Jets come back in close games.
Round 4
Greg Dulcich is the next pick at #111. Dulcich will hopefully be able to break the rotating carousel of tight ends on the Jets offense. Zach Wilson needs a reliable 1st down machine and Dulcich averaged 17.6 yards per game at UCLA. He could be an outlet for Wilson if the Jets can’t upgrade their line at guard this year. With pick #117 the Jets will draft Wan’Dale Robinson, a former runningback converted to wide receiver. He would be an excellent player in a LeFleur offense and could make plays in open space after a short throw from Wilson.
Round 5
Pick #146 sees the Jets drafting Zamir White, running back out of Georgia. His 800 yards and 11 TDs back up his 4.40 40 time. He isn’t a dynamic lateral runner, but can provide power for the Jets in short yardage situations as well as the ability to break it long when backed up against their own endzone. The 163rd pick sees the Jets drafting D’Marco Jackson, an inside run stopping linebacker from Appalachan State. The Jets may have to completely revamp their linebacking corps and drafting Chenal and Jackson is the key to keeping their core strong. Their D Line is so good, it would be a waste of their potential not to pair them up with run stopping linebackers who can take advantage of double teams.
Round 6-7
The Jets have no picks in the later rounds of the draft this year.
