Final Defensive Draft Rankings
Draft Day!
☀️ Good morning,
It’s HERE! Finally! Draft Day! 🤗
I have absolutely no idea what’s going to happen tonight, it’s one of the more unpredictable drafts I can remember. That’s what happens when there isn’t a top-tier QB, it throws everything out.
The Jaguars are going to set the tone for this draft, which makes it even more unpredictable. After agreeing to a long-term contract with tackle Cam Robinson it’s going to be a defensive end…but which one? My instinct still points to Travon Walker, it would be such a Jaguar move.
First of all a massive thank you to everyone who’s read, shared, and supported TJW through this draft process. We’ve been on these prospects for a while and I know it can get repetitive so thank you for sticking with me. We’ll have deeper dives on the Jets selections over the coming weeks and then we’ll get into the detail of talking about the 2022 season. I for one can’t wait to move on from these prospects.
😱 Draft writer Matt Miller had a note around the Jets: “Jets connected to tackle at 4 by a rival team that needs an OT. Source thinks they’re moving on from Becton” - Talk of the Jets and offensive tackles have been consistent this off-season, I still don’t understand it. The coaching staff must really dislike Becton if they’re willing to move on from a first-round tackle after only one year of play. It’s an aggressive move, it’s also a confusing move. Replacing Becton with Ikem Ekwonu doesn’t move the needle for the Jets, using a top 5 pick and failing to move the needle is a good way to get yourself fired.
✍️ The Denver Broncos signed former Jet Blessaun Austin. Austin was a former 6th-round pick of the Jets out of Rutgers, and was with the Jets until being waived at the start of the 2021 season. He’s yet to record an INT in the NFL but did have 8 pass defenses over two years with the Jets.
🧐 Connor Hughes of the Athletic took part in a mock draft, representing the Jets. He ended up taking Ikem Ekwonu and Jermaine Johnson. Don’t need to say why I don’t like the pick for Ekwonu, but getting Johnson at #10 would at least be something to hang the hat on. Although this mock does ignore the wide receiver position which is a bigger need than offensive tackle in my humble opinion.
👍 ESPN had some last-minute draft snippets and had this to say about the Jets and Jermaine Johnson: “Watch for the Jets, who pick at Nos. 4 and 10. I'm told they are high on Johnson. I recently caught up with Seminoles coach Mike Norvell, who said his former ACC defensive player of the year was a great example for young FSU players and worked hard in class to obtain the 36 hours needed to graduate. "He has a chance to grow into a complete player in the league," Norvell said. "Great versatility."
1️⃣0️⃣ From that same article, it mentions the Jets as the front-runners for Deebo Samuel, confirming that the 49’ers are at least listening. Although it does also say that a lot of people don’t expect San Francisco to move him in the short-term, maybe they’re going to try and repair that relationship as best they can first.
🇬🇧💂 One more note from that article for the Jets - “When asking teams about the top receivers, Drake London's name comes up often as a potential top-10 pick. The Falcons (No. 8) or Jets (No. 10) are among logical spots. "He was the best player on a bad team, the defense was designed to stop him and they still couldn't," an NFC exec said. Added an AFC scout: "He's Keenan Allen with more [run-after-catch] ability."
✈️ The Jets officially waived offensive lineman Cameron Clark with a failed physical designation. This doesn’t come as a shock or surprise as we’ve known for two months now that Clark was retiring after suffering a spinal cord injury last year. Clark was a 4th round pick in 2020, and we wish him all the best in his retirement.
From The Beat
🪘 Here’s a new feature where I’m going to share what we’re hearing from the Jets beat. I’ll need to JB nicely to create a new graphic.
There is a lot of chatter from the beat that KT just isn’t a Joe Douglas guy and with it being consistent across the board you have to listen. I just don’t understand why the Jets would be so anti-KT. They’ve met him 3 times, his visit went well, the KT camp feels good about it and he solves a big issue for the Jets. We’ll have to see on this one. Travon would be a huge risk for Joe Douglas, huge risk.
I’m not sure why the Jets made the players available on the eve of the draft, but they did. Who doesn’t like to hear that the franchise QB has come back with more confidence? Year 2 is where you want to see the jump and that’s what we’re expecting next year. Fant also said that he had discussed an extension with the Jets but there was no rush to get it done.
I don’t think there are too many surprises on my list. Thibodeaux over Hutchinson may be a surprise, but not if you’ve been reading TJW recently. Having Cine as a first-round prospect may surprise some but I personally think he’s a well-rounded prospect. Everyone has Araiza as their #1 punter but Jordan Stout’s got a good long and his hang time is better, which is why I have him where he is.
Zyon has an incredibly athletic profile and that’s why I have him as a 2nd rounder here, same with a guy like D’Marco Jackson who most have as a 4th-5th rounder. As you can see from my rankings I think the 2nd-3rd round has a ton of defensive talent in it, especially at EDGE and CB, but the linebackers aren’t too far behind either.
Like I did with the offensive rankings, I’ve selected one prospect from each position group who I consider to be a good fit for the Jets.
It would be easy for me to select all first-rounders where available, but I’ve spread the love around.
Just a reminder that the table above is not where I expect the players to be drafted, but the kind of grade that I have on them. For example, I think Zyon McCollum has 2nd/3rd round talent, but most mocks have him going later than that.
Edge - Kayvon Thibodeaux - Oregon
I was half tempted to put Jermaine Johnson here but in the end, I decided to go with Kayvon, whose speed, burst, and instincts make him the ideal candidate to play opposite Carl Lawson in 2022 and beyond. Talk of his off-field business distractions has been vastly overplayed and reports suggest the media care a lot more about that than NFL personnel.
Defensive Tackle - Phidarian Mathis - Alabama
I haven’t spoken about Mathis a lot recently as when I first watched him I thought he’d be ideal as a 3-4 defensive end. Having watched more he would ideal in that role, but also as a 3-tech in a 4-3 front, and who doesn’t love positional flexibility. He would instantly improve the Jet’s ability to play the run and he has a varied pass-rush portfolio for a defensive tackle. Saleh likes his defensive tackles to be disciplined and attacking, Mathis ticks both those boxes.
Linebacker - Chad Muma - Wyoming
Another player that will come as no surprise, Muma is a leader in the defense and offers the Jets a player who has a nose for the football whether he’s coming up to play the run or dropping back into coverage. He has sideline to sideline speed and his football IQ is up there with the best of the best. He could play as a WLB in the Jets system in year one, but I see his perfect fit as a long-term replacement for CJ at MLB.
Cornerback - Zyon McCollum - Sam Houston State
He has the size, speed, and natural athleticism to fit straight into this defense, and he gives the Jets something they haven’t had under Saleh yet and that’s a secondary defender who is an expert at playing the ball in the air. McCollum finished his college career with 13 interceptions. He was also a team captain who was regarded as an outstanding leader, which ticks another box for the Jets.
Safety - Lewis Cine - Georgia
A player who has the skill set to excel in multiple alignments, Cine is a fast and physical defender who plays with a chip on his shoulder. I like him as a single high safety paired with free-agent acquisition Whitehead who does his best work in the box, that combination would have the potential to be the best safety tandem in the NFL.
Kicker - Cameron Dicker - Texas
The Jets are set to have a kicking competition between 2021 man Eddy Pineiro and free-agent acquisition Greg Zuerlein, so chances are the Jets may not look at the kickers in this draft class. If they do then Cameron Dicker would be a good bet. He has a strong leg and can offer duel positional value after punting in 2021. I’ve always wondered why teams don’t save a roster spot by just having one player kick and punt.
Punter - Jordan Stout - Penn State
Braden Mann was madly inconsistent last season, on one punt he’d boom it 60 yards, and on another, he’d shank it for 20 yards. You need more consistency and Stout is my #1 rated punter because he’s very consistent and he had the best hangtime of any full-time punter last season, it’s pointless booming it 60 yards if your coverage is 20 yards off when the opposition catch it.
SH of Gang Green Nation did a great job breaking down Kayvon Thibodeaux. “Kayvon is a top 10 prospect without a doubt in this Draft cycle. He can be a generational type of talent if he fixes his issues and ramps up his desire. The talking heads on the Draft never go into detail about Kayvon,. They talk in generalities. A team would have to have a great sense that he would work so Kayvon is not a slam dunk type prospect. There are not many of those; the last one I had was Quenton Nelson back in 2018. hate to trade up in the draft in the first two rounds, but for Quenton I would have.”