The Case for Mason Graham

Edition #783

☀️ Good morning ☕

At some point the Jets will start narrowing this search down. They have to. Eventually they’re going to need to hire someone. Head coach interviews will intensify this week but maybe just maybe there is a good reason for the delay.

There are some (unfounded) rumours out there that suggests the Jets want Glenn and Glenn wants the Jets. However with the Lions in action he can’t interview in person until either the Lions are eliminated from the playoffs or the bye week ahead of the Super Bowl. So there’s a chance this runs all the way to the week of January 27th.

To go with that rumour, there are suggestions that Ray Agnew and Aaron Glenn are a package deal. However, if that were the case then the Jets would know this and surely they would have requested an interview with Agnew. So there are plenty of holes in that rumour, and it’s a case of wait and see.

Today we’re taking another break from searches to talk about the draft and one of my favourite prospects in the entire thing, Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham.

🟢 The Jets completed an interview with Bobby Slowik yesterday for their head coaching position. 🤔

🟢 The Jets also completed an interview with Pittsburgh Steelers OC Arthur Smith yesterday 😬

🟢 It was also confirmed that current Minnesota Vikings DC and former Miami Dolphins HC Brian Flores would interview today. Jordan Schultz followed that up with a comment stating how many sources within league circles believe he's learned a lot and changed significantly since his Miami days in large part thanks to the examples set by Mike Tomlin and Kevin O’Connell. I've said it a few times but I'll say it again, if we don't hire Aaron Glenn then I'd be perfectly happy with Brian Flores.

🟢 Aaron Rodgers was on the Pat McAfee show and was asked about his future with the Jets - "I think everybody understands it's going to come down to a GM and a coach and myself and whether we want do a dance together or if it's not in the cards”

🟢 Quincy Williams believes he grew as a leader during his 4th year with the Jets - "I feel like I have been a vocal leader, It was my one thing that I wanted to harp on, and then also my coverage ability and stuff. I felt like I leaned into more of that this season, and then also being comfortable being a vocal leader on the field and then also taking my shots. More off the field, but then also on the field with the vocal leader part, too. Though, just communicating on the field. It was just C.J [Mosley]. Then when C.J. went down, Jamien [Sherwood] would step in, one of the rising stars on his team. With that happening, me being a more vocal leader, helping him out until he got comfortable."

PFF ranked all the NFL teams by their off-season assets and the Jets came in quite nicely.

And then when you combine that with the effective cap space etc, we may not be in the same remit as the Raiders and Patriots, with the latter having an absolute ton of cap space and the 3rd pick in the NFL draft.

How likely is it that Mason Graham will make it to the Jets at #7?

Looking through team needs and players available, I can only see one team picking above the Jets who look likely to take Graham and that’s Jacksonville at #5. They could take an offensive lineman to protect Trevor Lawrence, someone like Will Campbell or Kelvin Banks or maybe star corner Will Johnson.

If Jacksonville don’t take him then I fully expect him to be there when the Jets make their selection at #7. If you look at the consensus from mock drafts you’ll see that Graham to the Jets is a popular choice and for good reason.