Getty New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas chatting it up during training camp.
It’s NFL draft week and we have one final Heavy on Jets mailbag column before Thursday night to kick things off this Monday morning.
As always, our expert writers Paul ‘Boy Green’ Esden Jr and Michael Obermuller will answer some hot topic questions but in this special edition mailbag, we will also provide our final Jets mock drafts ahead of this weekend.
In case you missed some of our most recent mailbag columns:
- Week 34: Debating Kyle Hamilton, poaching AFC East rivals & trading up in the draft.
- Week 35: McGovern rumors/answer at RG, Jets-related combine winners & losers.
- Week 36: Jets Free Agency Primer — rumors, targets & strategy.
- Week 37: Free agency reactions/needs, passing on Amari Cooper & Robert Woods.
- Week 38: Blockbuster trade scenarios involving the NFL draft.
- Week 39: Best and worst-case draft scenarios, unbelievable draft rumors.
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NFL Draft Rumors & Speculation
1. Give me your top offer for Deebo Samuel if he becomes available — no trade negotiations just one offer.
Boy Green:
If I’m Jets general manager Joe Douglas, I’m giving one offer and one offer only. I believe they call this a take it or leave-it situation: No. 10 overall straight up for 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel.
No one else can beat this offer, it is the best you’re going to get and San Francisco is the one up against the deadline of the 2022 NFL draft. If they say no, that’s okay because I have nine picks in April’s draft with four of those inside the top-38.
If they accept, awesome we just landed a true No. 1 playmaker for this offense. Either way, Jets fans should sleep easy knowing they’re covered on both sides of the fences here.
Obermuller:
I was all-in on Tyreek Hill and would have offered that No. 10 pick but I’m not sure I can do the same for Samuel. I understand the versatility that he brings to an offense but he hasn’t shown enough consistency as a wide receiver throughout his career.
One thousand-yard season, injuries in 2020, and a career catch percentage of 67.9%. Even in his best campaign last year he had a putrid catch percentage of 63.6%.
I know Samuel is marketing himself as the guy that got the 49ers to the playoffs but I credit Kyle Shanahan’s system and stout O-line more than the Swiss army knife WR. My top offer would probably be both second-rounders.
2. What do you think? Over/under 2.5 draft trades for Joe Douglas and the Jets?
Boy Green:
I didn’t know math was going to be a part of the equation in this Monday mailbag, but I like the vegas odds of going over here.
The Jets have nine overall selections, all within the first five rounds. Whether they pull the trigger on a Samuel trade, or move up in the second round, or move down in the first round, or heck even throw a late-round pick at an up-for-grabs veteran on the trade block.
There are endless possibilities here and Douglas didn’t earn that ‘Trader Joe’ nickname for nothing. I’m slamming the over in Vegas.
Obermuller:
Three draft trades is a ton but for some reason, I actually believe it’s very plausible this year. I’m with you Boy Green!
I’ll take the over too and I believe we will see one trade in the first round — whether that is trading down from No. 4/10 or trading back into round one with a second-round pick. I also think the Jets will move around a few times throughout the middle rounds.
For example, I do feel that they would like to add a sixth or seventh-round selection by moving down. I also think the Jets will move up for a player they really like. This draft has to be Douglas’ “Mona Lisa” and that should include some jumping around.
3. Name a prospect no one is talking about in the draft that should be a Jet.
Boy Green:
I’ve mentioned a few late rounders I like in the past — BYU’s Tyler Allgeier — but I’ll go in a different direction this time around.
Earlier this week the Jets were making some calls on Nebraska wide receiver Samori Toure who is projected to be a priority free agent according to Dane Brugler of The Athletic. You could easily trade for a sixth or seventh-rounder to get back into the draft to secure him, so you can cut the UDFA line.
He’s an intriguing dart throw that I’d consider taking a gamble on.
Obermuller:
This is actually a challenge because of how thorough Jets fans are. There aren’t too many prospects I love that nobody else has mentioned for Gang Green, so I’ll choose a couple of lesser-known players.
First off, I feel strongly that Travis Jones could be the answer at defensive tackle. The UCONN product can clog gaps against the run and provide some pass rush in a 4-3.
A little lower down in the order I wouldn’t mind a wide receiver like Jalen Tolbert. You don’t get much recognition coming from South Alabama but this wideout can be really special. His route-running is advanced, with decent size and ball skills. I think this kid can go far.
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Final NFL Draft Mocks
4/5. We’ve already given our dream first-rounds in the past but mock out the entire Jets’ 2022 draft class. (We won’t do any moving around in the order in these mocks)
Boy Green:
- No. 4- Gang Green lands Oregon pass rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux who fills the massive void on defense. He will pair nicely with Carl Lawson and form a dynamic duo for head coach Robert Saleh.
- No. 10- The Jets will trade this pick straight up for San Francisco 49ers stud Deebo Samuel. Now Zach Wilson will have a proven No. 1 weapon on offense.
- No. 35- The Green & White select Abraham Lucas, the offensive tackle out of Washington State. You need some Mekhi Becton and George Fant insurance and he can be your future starting tackle in 2023.
- No. 38- Somehow the Jets take advantage of a player who surprisingly fell this far in Georgia linebacker Nakobe Dean. He ends up sliding due to size and positional value questions.
- No. 69- The Jets need a running mate for Jordan Whitehead and they find it in the third round with Cincinnati safety Bryan Cook. A sure tackler which is something this team needs desperately.
- No. 111- Gang Green continues to add to its secondary with Alabama cornerback Josh Jobe. I think they really like their cornerback group, but this can add some nice competition and depth.
- No. 117- I’m going back to the Cincinnati waters here with Myjai Sanders, Bearcats EDGE. The Jets hired Greg Scruggs who was Cincinnati’s defensive line coach and he’ll assume the same position with Gang Green. He may have some valuable intel on this pick and I wanted to double-dip at EDGE.
- No. 146- In an exclusive interview via my YouTube channel, Dane Brugler called this area of the 2022 NFL draft, “the sweet spot” to take a tight end and I couldn’t agree more. The Jets take Isaiah Likely out of Coastal Carolina who they welcomed on a top-30 visit. They’re going to add a young guy to develop behind their veterans.
- No. 163- We wrap up the draft with a running back selection: Pierre Strong out of South Dakota State. The Jets have done a lot of work on him this offseason and I think they take a stab at the position on day three of the draft.
Obermuller:
- No. 4- I agree with Paul here, Thibodeaux will be the selection at 4 so long as he’s available. If he’s not, I would pick fellow EDGE Jermaine Johnson II.
- No. 10- I will go wide receiver at 10 but I’ll go with an explosive rookie — Alabama’s Jameson Williams. It doesn’t bother me that he could miss most of 2022, this staff is building for 2023 and beyond.
- No. 35- To me, the smart move here is to fortify that defensive line with UCONN run-stuffer Travis Jones — who I mentioned before.
- No. 38- I’ll take Dean if he drops to 38 but I’m not sure he does. In the event he doesn’t, give me one of his Georgia teammates, safety Lewis Cine. If he’s off the board a safety like Jalen Pitre or Jaquan Brisker could also work. This new-look Jets defense will have added Thibodeaux, Jones and a young safety in the top 40, BOOM.
- No. 69- There are a few directions you could go here including linebacker Chad Muma if he drops but I’ll say he doesn’t. Instead, Douglas drafts his center of the future in Nebraska’s Cam Jurgens.
- No. 111- I like offensive tackle prospect Kellen Diesch here. The Arizona State product was a solid pass protector with room to grow behind Fant and Becton.
- No. 117- I’m looking at five positions the rest of the way — WR, CB, LB, RB, TE — and I’ll cross one off the list here with wide receiver Romeo Doubs out of Nevada. The big downfield threat can push Denzel Mims for a role in this offense.
- No. 146- I think Boy Green has the right idea with molding a tight end of the future at 146 but I’ll go with Jake Ferguson out of Wisconsin. A really good fit for Mike LaFleur’s run-heavy offense, Ferguson can block and hit on play-action routes.
- No. 163- With a nod to my partner, I’ll reunite Wilson and Allgeier at 163, providing a complement to Michael Carter.
The main positions I ignored were linebacker and cornerback. For LB, I just didn’t see the right guy dropping to the Jets and I feel Douglas and Robert Saleh like the guys they have — even if that’s misguided. A trade back or forward could change this though. At CB, I personally like the guys the Jets have right now, contrary to public opinion.
Boy Green ignored the interior offensive and defensive line, and drafted a second EDGE instead of another WR. It’ll be interesting to see which direction the Jets go this weekend.
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