In life, you have to adapt or die. Well, that is what we learned from the movie Moneyball anyway.
Things happen that you don’t expect and you have two choices, get on the ship or let it pass you.
Well, the New York Jets encountered this very scenario in the latest Mel Kiper Jr mock draft and the results sent a lot of people into a craze on social media.
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A Total Bummer Situation
On Tuesday, March 1, Mel Kiper Jr released the second version of his mock draft for ESPN.
In this edition, he included a huge trade inside the top-10:
- Cleveland Browns acquire the No. 9 overall pick
- Denver Broncos acquire the No. 13 overall pick and a 2022 third-round pick
While this deal didn’t directly include the Jets, they were on Kiper’s mind:
“With the Jets lurking at No. 10, I could see the Browns making sure they get the best receiver in this class.”
In this scenario, the Browns by trading up would have their choice of any wide receiver on the board, since one had not been taken yet.
They ended up selecting Drake London out of USC and Kiper said he would’ve been a “great fit” for the Jets if he was still on the board with the No. 10 overall draft choice.
.@MelKiperESPN mocked @USC_FB WR Drake London (@DrakeLondon_) to the #Jets in his Mock Draft 1.0. He called him the ‘clear cut’ No. 1 WR in this draft class + has that ‘Mike Evans-Plaxico Burress’ frame + ‘freakish talent’: 🎥 First Draft w/ @FieldYates #TakeFlight #NFLDraft
This wouldn’t be the first time Gang Green got the rug pulled out from under them during the draft.
A good example happened back in the 2013 NFL draft where the Jets were planning on selecting do it all weapon Tavon Austin out of West Virginia with the No. 9 overall pick, yet the then St. Louis Rams traded up with the Buffalo Bills to the No. 8 overall pick to swipe him away from the Jets.
Instead, the Jets pivoted to one of their all-time draft busts in Dee Milliner the cornerback out of Alabama.
This proposed trade scenario from Kiper also forced the Jets to pivot in a direction that could certainly upset a lot of fans if it really played out this way.
Mel Kiper Jr Jets Draft Results
With the Jets getting blocked from taking perhaps the wide receiver of their dreams, they ended up doing something else entirely with their two top-10 picks.
No. 4 overall: Kyle Hamilton, safety, Notre Dame
“Because I know you’re thinking it, no, this is not too high to take a safety,” said Kiper. “Not a safety like Hamilton, who can make a massive impact against the run and pass. He had eight career interceptions at Notre Dame and could play multiple spots along the defense at the next level. Hamilton is a versatile playmaker who will make a defense better on Day 1.”
No. 10 overall: Tyler Linderbaum, center, Iowa
“This could be the sweet spot in the draft for Linderbaum, one of the best center prospects of the past decade,” said Kiper. “He’s a plug-and-play lineman who can do everything at a high level.”
In @MelKiperESPN‘s mock draft 2.0 he said the 10th overall pick w/ the #Jets could be the “sweet spot” for Tyler Linderbaum (@TLinderbaum) of @HawkeyeFootball in the 2022 #NFLDraft:
Both of these selections would be historic.
Hamilton would become the highest-drafted safety in over 31 years (since 1991) if he was the fourth overall pick.
While Linderbaum with the No. 10 overall pick would instantly become the highest-drafted center in the modern draft era (since 1970).
These are two positions that aren’t considered premium spots in the NFL in 2022 and could raise a lot of eyebrows if this came to fruition.
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AFC Foe Blocks Jets With Trade, Forces Sudden Change of Plans