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We have reached the homestretch of the 2022 NFL draft conversation before things get real at the end of the month.
With that being said, mock drafts are now being detailed and refined. In the latest ESPN mock draft, the New York Jets were handed a few new names.
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A Stunning Name That Is Rising
On Tuesday, April 5, ESPN NFL draft analyst Todd McShay dropped the latest edition of his mock draft.
This was a two-round version and he predicted which players would go where.
Let’s skip ahead to his final selection for the green and white with the No. 38 overall pick in the second round: Georgia inside linebacker Quay Walker.
This is a player that has been buzzing and some NFL people believe he could be the No. 1 overall linebacker on the board:
“Quay Walker the linebacker out of Georgia, I really liked his tape and gave him a second-round grade. When I talk to people in the league I keep hearing his name come up. We all talk about Nakobe Dean, but some teams talk about the potential with Walker being a better pro. He is ascending on teams’ boards and I think that is interesting to hear. Teams are struggling with which linebacker they like more.”
Jaquavian Jy’quese Walker or more commonly known as Quay is 6-foot-4 and 241 pounds. When you look at his path with Georgia, Walker was forced to wait until it was his time based on the talent and depth ahead of him.
Interestingly with the Jets, he could have a very similar path.
Connor Hughes of The Athletic tweeted out something very interesting this week when he said, “fans often make the mistake [of] believing teams draft for the current year. Draft always with [an] eye toward [the] future.”
He is right and that is what this Walker pick would be for the Jets. The linebackers ahead of him on the depth chart are CJ Mosley and Quincy Williams. Mosley will be 31 heading into the 2023 season and Williams is a free agent next spring.
If Gang Green selects Walker he could jump in the rotation at linebacker this season and then heading into 2023 can be a full-time guy when others leave.
The Rest of the Pack
Here is a look at the rest of McShay’s predictions for the green and white:
No. 4 overall: Garrett Wilson, wide receiver, Ohio State
No. 10 overall: Ahmad ‘Sauce’ Gardner, cornerback, Cincinnati
No. 35 overall: Arnold Ebiketie, defensive end, Penn State
No. 38 overall, Walker, linebacker, Georgia
Taking a wide receiver with the No. 4 overall pick would be bold, to say the least. In this scenario, the Jets were able to get their pick of the litter among the wideouts and still got one of the top defenders on the board at No. 10 overall.
However that may not be an extremely likely scenario, if the Jets want Sauce they’ll likely have to take him with their top selection with the rival New York Giants lurking in the shadows.
Attacking the defensive side of the ball with three of their first four picks might rub some fans the wrong way, but that is what this team needs after a terrible year statistically in 2021.
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