It wouldn’t be draft season without some bold predictions being thrown out there.
Draft season is all about speculation. Analysts and fans spend all offseason predicting when a player might go off the board. Some analysts predict players to get drafted way higher than others expect, while others have teams taking players that have not been linked to the organization or ones who fill a high-priority need.
With Joe Douglas’ first draft as an NFL general manager approaching, it’s time for Jets Wire to get bold and take a crack at predicting what Douglas might do on draft day. Let’s get into it.
Douglas trades back
No. 11 seems like the perfect pick for the Jets. Slotted just outside the top 10, New York can take either an offensive tackle to protect Sam Darnold or a top wide receiver for him to work with.
This year’s draft is about more than filling just one or two holes, though. Joe Douglas is well aware that the depth chart needs improving at multiple positions. What better way to address those positions than by trading back in the first round?
Trading back would not necessarily take the Jets out of the running for a standout tackle or receiver in the first round. Depending on how far they trade back, Houston offensive tackle Josh Jones and LSU wide receiver Justin Jefferson should still be available for the taking. In this scenario, Douglas not only gets an impact player at a position of need, but he adds more draft capital to address other needs.
The Jets get patient at wide receiver
Much has been made about how deep this year’s wide receiver class is. With that in mind, we’re predicting that Joe Douglas and the Jets get extra patient in their approach to drafting one.
Instead of taking a receiver in the second round, Douglas could target an impact cornerback or EDGE — two major areas of weakness on New York’s defense. The Jets could then focus on adding a wideout, such as USC’s Michael Pittman, who has the potential to fall into the third round.
New York would not be getting a No. 1 receiver in the third round, but it would still be landing a player with the potential to make an impact from day one.
Douglas gets a running back
Even with Le’Veon Bell in the mix, the Jets need help at running back.
There is not much else behind Bell on the depth chart. Running back does not seem like a major position of need, but New York needs to add one in the draft to bolster its rushing attack.
Names like Boston College’s AJ Dillon and Cincinnati’s Michael Warren stand out as potential day three running back targets for the Jets. If he’s lucky, Joe Douglas might be able to unearth a hidden gem at tailback in the later rounds.
Late-round trades aplenty
Whether it be trading out of late-round picks in exchange for future draft capital or moving up in the later rounds to land a specific player, we’re expecting Joe Douglas to be active in the trade department on day three of the draft.
The Jets have a lot of holes to fill. Being active late in the draft allows Douglas to accomplish that feat. Even if he is trading back and accumulating 2021 draft picks, Douglas is building toward the future. That is what day three of this year’s draft is going to be about for the Jets.
