It is mock draft Monday, which as always means an updated New York Jets Mock Draft from our man Clayton Smarslok.
But Clayton isn’t the only one with new mock draft material available today.
Over at the Draft Network, senior draft analyst Jordan Reid has a fresh mock draft up and he has the Jets trading up in the first round.
Now, you may be thinking, “holy cow, Jordan Reid thinks the Jets are going to move up to number 1 and select Trevor Lawrence?”
Well, no.
Like many others, Reid has the Jets selecting BYU quarterback Zach Wilson at #2 overall:
A situation that’s been slowed played to this point, but with many veteran QBs already being traded, Sam Darnold could be the next in line. If the team does go through with trading the former No. 3 overall pick, it will then clear up exactly what their draft intentions are. Possibly gaining an extra Day 2 pick and maybe a later rounder in that trade, the Jets turn around and select a new signal-caller of the future in Wilson.
The trade up is with the #23 pick later in the first round, where Reid has the Jets giving up their 4th round selection (#107) and swapping 5th rounders with the Chicago Bears so they can move to #20 overall and grab Play Like A Jet podcast favorite South Carolina CB Jaycee Horn.
Reading the tea leaves with Joe Douglas recently coming out and saying that the team will now “answer” calls from teams interested in trading for Darnold, ultimately, in the end, I think that the Jets will end up getting a Day 2 pick plus possibly another late-rounder for the former No. 3 overall selection. Already having the No. 34 overall pick, the second pick in the second round, this is a selection that the team should be aggressive with if a highly rated talent somehow continues to fall. Trading up three spots to acquire Horn, the team now has two young players out on the perimeter of Robert Saleh’s defense as they pair him with Bryce Hall. They still can possibly trade back from No. 34 and recoup the pick(s) that they surrendered to move up in the first round.
Other notable first round moves include Carolina jumping up to #3 to take OSU QB Justin Fields, San Francisco moving from #12 to #7 for NDSU QB Trey Lance, Gang Green’s co-tenants at MetLife Stadium the New York Giants grabbing Florida TE Kyle Pitts, and New England snatching Alabama QB Mac Jones at #15.
