With the Super Bowl and the NFL season officially coming to a close this past Sunday, Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller released his post-Super Bowl mock draft.
In the first round, Miller has the Jets selecting a pass-rusher, a move that’s being widely anticipated at this stage. From there they fill out their roster with potential playmakers despite not having a second- or sixth-round pick.
Let’s take a look and see who Miller has the Jets taking in his seven-round, post-Super Bowl mock draft.
First Round: Josh Allen | EDGE | Kentucky
Miller views Josh Allen as a premier fit in Gregg Williams’ 4-3 scheme. He also mentions the Jets No. 3 choice as the prime spot for quarterback-needy teams looking to trade up. Here’s Miller explanation for the pick:
This is a prime location from which to execute a trade and let a quarterback-needy team (hello, Denver Broncos) move up. In a mock draft without trades, the Jets instead look to fill a huge need on the edge of Gregg Williams’ defense.
Josh Allen is a 6’5″, 260-pound high-level athlete who also produced to the tune of 17 sacks and 21.5 tackles for a loss in 2018. He dominated SEC competition with speed, length, and power. He’s not only the top senior in the 2019 draft class, but he’s also one of the better edge prospects in the last five years.
With a high motor and explosive traits, Allen is viewed as the second-best pass-rusher in this class. He had 17 sacks and five forced fumbles for Kentucky this past season and totaled 31.5 for his career.
If the Jets are unable to trade down, Allen appears to be the best fit before he tests at the combine.
Third Round: Amani Oruwariye | CB | Penn State
Amani Oruwariye was one of the highly touted cornerbacks participating at the Senior Bowl over a week ago.
Oruwariye would be the Jets first pick of Day 2 and could immediately start on the outside opposite of Trumaine Johnson. His size, standing at 6-foot-1, his length, strength, and ball skills make him an ideal fit to line up outside as a team’s No. 2 cornerback.
In Oruwariye there may be a first-round talent, as he has incredible awareness and can be a playmaker for the Jets secondary, which badly needs depth. The only gripe may be that he is not a tackler, but the Jets aren’t drafting him for his ability to wrap up.
Third Round (via NO): Darrell Henderson | RB | Memphis
With the pick the Jets acquired in the Teddy Bridgewater trade, New York adds another running back.
Darrell Henderson, a junior out of Memphis, is coming off the best season of his career. He carried the ball 214 times for 1,909 yards and 22 touchdowns in his last collegiate season.
Henderson is a speed back who can be very elusive. Right now, his pass protecting skills are lacking and while he is a capable pass-catcher, he is not as much as a threat to be a featured back.
He seems to be a nice compliment to both Elijah McGuire and a free agent back, with Trenton Cannon presumably being used primarily on special teams.
Fourth Round: Dennis Daley | OT | South Carolina
With this fourth-round pick, the Jets stick to taking developmental tackles out of South Carolina under Mike Maccagnan.
Daley has impressive traits, including his frame, standing at 6-foot-6. Daley can be a starting tackle of the future due to his strength and technique. However, he often struggles against speed rushers, which is something that will need to be fixed at the next level.
Addressing the offensive line is a top priority for the Jets; they may need to earlier than round four.
Fifth Round: Antoine Wesley | WR | Texas Tech
The Jets wait until the fifth round to address the receiver position, with the hope that part of the depth chart is filled out via trade and free agency.
Antonie Wesley was stuck behind three players who are on current NFL rosters during his sophomore contest, so his junior year was his first of true production. Wesley caught 88 passes for 1,410 yards and nine touchdowns in Kliff Kingsbury’s air-raid offense.
Wesley is a big target, standing at 6-foot-5. He is an exceptional route runner — not overly fast, but able to turn it into second-gear when need be. His shiftiness and YAC ability are attractive traits as well. Wesley’s raw talent and ability alone make him an intriguing pick who could develop into a nice weapon for Gang Green.
Seventh Round: Demarcus Christmas | DL | Florida State
Besides having a great name, Demarcus Christmas is a notable run-stuffer with pass-rushing abilities.
Christmas is ready to defend the run in the NFL, but being able to replace Steve McLendon is a 4-3 scheme as a rookie does not seem attainable yet. Christmas’ pass-rushing skills are just not good enough to be an effective force, but he can definitely compete with Folorunso Fatukasi for a job as a two-down run stuffer.
