With the regular season coming to a close on Sunday, mock draft season has already begun. With the order for non-playoff teams set, Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller released his post-regular season mock draft on Monday.
The Jets are locked into the 11th pick with the top-20 of the draft order officially set in stone.
In the first round, Miller has the Jets addressing their glaring hole on the offensive line. From there, they fill out their roster with playmakers that would have a chance to contribute right away.
Let’s take a look and see who Miller has the Jets taking in his three-round, post-regular season mock draft.
First Round: Jedrick Willis Jr. | OT | Alabama
Fixing the offensive line must be a priority this offseason.
With Joe Douglas’ first draft pick as the team’s general manager, Matt Miller has Douglas seeking immediate help in the trenches by taking Jedrick Willis Jr., an offensive tackle out of Alabama.
Here’s Miller’s explanation for the pick:
The New York Jets should be smiling all the way to the podium when the card is sent in with my top-ranked offensive tackle coming off the board to protect Sam Darnold.
Darnold, when protected well this year, showed all the tools to be a very good starting NFL quarterback. The trouble was that he was rarely well-protected as the Jets’ offensive line was ravaged by injury.
Drafting Wills, who was tasked with protecting Tua Tagovailoa’s blind side as the Alabama right tackle, gives the Jets a Week 1 answer at left tackle. His movement skills are the best of any tackle in the 2020 class, and his technique is pro-ready.
Receiver is a huge need, as is edge-rusher, but protecting Darnold has to be the top priority for general manager Joe Douglas in his first draft.
Second Round: Gabriel Davis | WR | Central Florida
With Robby Anderson’s heading to free agency, Miller has the Jets getting a big-time wide receiver with their first Day 2 selection.
Gabriel Davis has been the go-to wide receiver at Central Florida no matter who the team’s quarterback has been over the past three seasons. Unlike Anderson, Davis is not an explosive route-runner, but he does have reliable hands and a huge catch radius, standing at 6-foot-3.
In his final season for the Knights before declaring for the draft, Davis caught 72 passes for 1,241 yards and 12 touchdowns. With those types of numbers, Davis projects as a legitimate outside receiver threat for Sam Darnold.
Third Round (via NYG): Bradlee Anae | EDGE | Utah
As apart of the Leonard Williams trade, the Jets own the Giants’ third-round pick in this year’s draft.
In Bradlee Anae, the Jets are taking a gamble on an edge rusher who can complement the interior defensive line. Anae is tough and plays with a relentless motor in both the run and pass game.
In 2019 for the Utes, Anae was a consensus All-American. He was selected as the Pac-12 2019 Morris Trophy winner, which is awarded annually to the best offensive and defensive linemen in the conference, as selected by opposing players. In his senior season, Anae had 35 total tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks and a forced fumble.
From 2017-19, Anae led Utah in sacks. His 29.5 career sacks are tied for the Utah school record and ranks fourth among active FBS players. He is fourth all-time in school history and 10th among active FBS players in total TFLs with 41.
Third Round: Cam Akers | RB | Florida State
This pick may come as a surprise, but right now you could use a butter knife to cut the tension between Adam Gase and Le’Veon Bell. In addition, neither Ty Montgomery nor Bilal Powell look like viable backup running back options for 2020 and beyond.
That’s where Cam Akers comes into play. Akers projects as a three-down feature back at the next level due to his explosiveness out of the backfield. His versatility and physical running style will allow him to be an explosive playmaker, where his skills as a pass-catcher and in pass protection are critical to his success in the NFL. Ball security may be an issue that plagues him, but he should be able to see the field early and often.
On the season, Akers ran for 1,144 yards on 231 carries. He averaged five yards per carry and scored 14 rushing touchdowns. As a receiver, Akers had 30 receptions for 225 and four touchdowns.
