Joe Douglas’ first draft as general manager is in the books and the early reviews are positive. We gave Douglas and the Jets a “B” for their overall draft class, which blended high-character people with starting-caliber players at various positions of need.
It’s impossible to know if this class will pan out better or worse than previous classes, so for now, we can have a little bit of fun to see who Douglas could have drafted with the Jets’ nine picks.
For this exercise, we’ll assume Douglas still makes all the trades he did this weekend so as not to alter the draft order. This is an inexact science because obviously any change in the selections would likely change almost every subsequent selection by other teams, but it’s still interesting to see an alternative look at what Douglas could have done at various points in the draft.
Here are the players the Jets could have taken in the 2020 draft.
No. 11 – OT Tristan Wirfs
The Jets were always going with a tackle at this spot. They had their choice between Mekhi Becton and Tristan Wirfs. Though Becton is a great prospect with massive size, quick feet and impressive run-blocking ability, the Jets could have gone with the more experienced and polished Wirfs with their first-round pick.
Wirfs played both tackle positions in college and was adept at run- and pass-blocking for Iowa. He ran the fastest 40-yard dash time among tackles and only allowed seven total pressures – two sacks, two quarterback hits and three hurries – in 2019 for the lowest pressure rate of any tackle in the draft. The Buccaneers traded up to take Wirfs one pick after the Jets took Becton.
No. 59 – CB Kristian Fulton
A case could have been made for OLB Josh Uche here as well, but in our alternative timeline, Douglas upgrades his secondary first with the cornerback from LSU. Fulton is a filthy shutdown corner who allowed only a 40 percent completion percentage when targeted and finished the 2019 season with 38 tackles, 14 pass breakups and one interception.
Fulton likely dropped because of issues with his character – he reportedly failed and tried to alter a drug test and was suspended for the 2017 season. Nevertheless, Fulton could be a Day 1 starter for the Titans now.
No. 68 – LB Zack Baun
Baun would have given the Jets their starting pass rusher with Jordan Jenkins on the outside. He finished his senior season with 12.5 sacks for Wisconsin and is fast enough to get off the edge quickly and penetrate the pocket.
He isn’t the biggest player at his position which would potentially limit his usage, but Baun would have been an intriguing weapon for Gregg Williams’ defense.
No. 79 – C Lloyd Cushenberry
The Jets still need interior offensive line help and Cushenberry could have been a great depth piece or starting-caliber player on the line.
He played 28 games at center over the past two years for LSU and would have allowed Connor McGovern to move to guard if he showed enough early development to warrant the starting center job. Cushenberry would likely have made reserve lineman Jonotthan Harrison expendable as well.
No. 120 – S K’Von Wallace
This would have been the Ashtyn Davis-esque pick for the Jets. Wallace – who was a teammate of Becton’s at Highland Springs High School in Virginia – can play safety, nickel cornerback and rush the passer and he would have been tasked with chipping in all over the defense for Gregg Williams.
Wallace, like Davis, is a raw talent who is a big-hitter that just needs time to work out some kinks in his game. He could have filled in nicely as a backup safety and potential replacement for Marcus Maye.
No. 125 – RB DeeJay Dallas
Dallas is another dual-threat running back who can also contribute on special teams early on in his career as a returner. The Miami (Fla.) running back would have filled in nicely behind Le’Veon Bell and learned from him to develop into a solid reserve running back.
He wasn’t overly productive for the Hurricanes but did average 6.3 yards per touch in his three-year career, including 5.8 yards per rushing attempt.
No. 129 – CB Amik Robertson
The Jets would have filled out their cornerback room with Robertson in the fourth. Robertson is small at 5-foot-8 but is incredibly physical, unafraid of bigger pass-catchers and was ultra-productive with 14 interceptions, four sacks and 23 tackles for a loss.
He played outside corner at Louisiana Tech but will likely shift inside to the slot role for the Raiders.
No. 158 – WR Tyler Johnson
It would have been incredibly risky to wait until the fifth round for a wide receiver, but between the Jets’ second-round pick and this one, there weren’t many other viable options that would fit Adam Gase’s offense besides Johnson. The Jets still get a super-productive pass catcher who could push for starters snaps early in 2020.
Johnson is eerily similar to Jets’ second-round pick Denzel Mims in that both excelled at 50-50 balls – Johnson has caught 32 contested catches since 2018, while Mims had 20 alone in 2019 – and both ranked Nos. 1 and 2 in receptions of 15-plus yards since 2017. Johnson had 80 to beat Mims’ 78. He could have been a great addition to the Jets’ receiving corps, but Mims has a better chance to make an immediate impact on offense.
No. 191 – OT Prince Tega Wanogho
Tega Wanogho is another massive prospect who could have competed with any of the Jets’ tackles. He is an excellent pass-blocker and would have added another level of depth for the Jets offensive line.
Joe Douglas and the Jets would have had a bounty of great lineman to work with for the 2020 season with the haul of Wirfs, Cushenberry and Tega Wanogho.
