Let’s not sugarcoat anything – Adam Gase has been a disaster for the New York Jets. It’s likely that the franchise will be in the head coach market in the offseason, a move that all New Yorkers would welcome. In this article, we’ll take control of the Jets in this 2021 Mock Draft and attempt to fix the damage caused by Adam Gase.
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First Round – Pick 1
Trevor Lawrence, Quarterback, Clemson
Whether it’s his fault or not, Sam Darnold has shown severe regression this season. More so, it’s just one of the many reasons why Adam Gase should be looking for new employment in the offseason. With the first overall pick in this 2021 Mock Draft, the Jets are in a prime position to rebuild their entire roster.
The Jets have Darnold under contract through 2021, as well as a club option for the 2022 season. In my opinion, the bets course of action for New York would be exploring trade options in the offseason for Sam Darnold. That way, they obtain additional draft capital to use as they build around Lawrence.
The rebuild process for the New York Jets isn’t going to be a one or two year ordeal. Rather, it’ll take time to infuse talent and obtain key personnel on both sides of the ball.
First Round – Pick 31
Jaycee Horn, Cornerback, South Carolina
New York has four cornerbacks set to hit unrestricted free agency. They have three that are set to hit exclusive restricted free agency, but should be back with the Jets in 2021. Nonetheless, there are some decisions to be made in the secondary.
Jaycee Horn has been an amazing player for South Carolina. He likely won’t end up as the top corner in the 2021 NFL Draft, but he might be the best lockdown corner in this class. With a second pick in this 2021 Mock Draft, the New York Jets have an opportunity to draft a franchise defensive back to completely revamp their secondary.
Second Round – Pick 33
Hamilcar Rashed Jr., EDGE, Oregon State
Jordan Jenkins and Tarell Basham, both starting outside linebackers for the Jets, are set to hit free agency. As a common theme in this 2021 Mock Draft, event the Jets are able to re-sign one or two of these players, they can still find talent upgrades in the NFL Draft.
Hamilcar Rashed Jr. is an athletic edge rusher. He has the skillset and abilities to be able to drop into coverage, if needed. Rashed is an immediate upgrade and will provide the Jets will much needed versatility to send out a variety of defensive packages.
Third Round – Pick 65
Chazz Surratt, Linebacker, North Carolina
With two picks in the third round in this 2021 Mock Draft, I have the Jets selecting a third straight defensive prospect. I know that it’s not an ideal move, but there’s plenty of depth on the offensive side of the ball in the middle of this draft class.
Chazz Surratt made the switch to linebacker from quarterback prior to the 2019 College Football season. Even though he doesn’t have the experience at the position, Surratt has better awareness and instincts than other linebackers in this class. If drafted here, the Jets would be anticipating Surratt to improve with more experience, which he’s already done in two seasons at North Carolina.
Third Round – Pick 94
Tylan Wallace, Wide Receiver, Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State’s Tylan Wallace is a speedy outside receiver with a large catch radius. He excels at gaining yardage in wide receiver screens, but is also a solid route runner downfield.
The New York Jets have Breshad Perriman and Chris Hogan set to hit free agency. We have yet to see Denzel Mims hit the field for the Jets, but it should be sooner, rather than later. Either way, adding an additional target for Trevor Lawrence to work with is a smart long-term decision for this offense.
Fourth Round – Pick 102
Drake Jackson, IOL, Kentucky
By drafting an interior offensive lineman here, New York will be able to do two things.
First off, they’ll be able to open up the running game. Drake Jackson will bring the Jets the flexibility needed to create running lanes. When games get into the third and fourth quarters, and they need to wind down time on the ground, finding running room in the trenches is key.
Secondly, this will give Trevor Lawrence some much needed breathing room, too. Keeping pressure away from his face allows Lawrence to step-up into the pocket to allude outside pressure and make throws downfield.
Fifth Round -Pick 141
Kylin Hill, Running Back, Mississippi State
Not only is Frank Gore 38 years old, but he’s also set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason. With Le’Veon Bell now in Kansas City, the Jets need to address the position in this 2021 Mock Draft.
A fifth round draft pick should be sufficient for the Jets here. Prior to the 2020 College Football season, Kylin Hill was a workhorse on the ground for Mississippi State. Additionally, he showed good ability in pass protection. This season, under head coach Mike Leach, Hill has displayed solid abilities as a receiver out of the backfield. When you put his entire collegiate career together, Kylin Hill is great value in the fifth round.
Fifth Round – Pick 143
Jeremiah Moon, EDGE, Florida
The New York Jets are winless this year. They have serious issues with impending free agents on this roster. More so, they have serious lack of talent on both sides of the ball.
Jeremiah Moon is an athletic edge rusher that gets into the backfield quickly. He does a great job of locating the ball carrier through traffic and making the tackle. Moon isn’t likely to start right away, but he can contribute situationally.
Sixth Round – Pick 190
Noah Gray, Tight End, Duke
New York needs to find a vertical tight end for Trevor Lawrence. However, the Jets have more pressing needs, and given how the board played out for them in this 2021 Mock Draft, the franchise has been out of position to draft one.
Noah Gray has shown flashes at Duke throughout his collegiate career. Gray will be a project for the franchise, but can pay off big in two or three years. This is a low-risk, high-reward draft prospect.
Seventh Round – Pick 223
D’Eriq King, Quarterback, Miami (Fla.)
If the Jets are able to find a way to move on from Sam Darnold, they’ll need to find a capable backup for Trevor Lawrence. It’s likely that the organization looks to the free agent market to do so, but let’s have them draft a prospect late that they can potentially turn for a draft pick in two to three years from now.
D’Eriq King transferred to the University of Miami in the offseason from Houston. He’s performed well, but quite frankly, others have been much better. The seventh round is still a bit late for King to be drafted, but he’s far from a pro-ready quarterback.